13^  a  o:^  i::^.  .^:^  i:a.  "^2^ 

OF    THE 

AT  i 

PRINCETON,   N.  J.  ^ 


i>  ca  ::\r  _-vr  I  o  ::v     o  !•-  ..  •, 

SAMUEL    AGNE\V, 

OK     PHILADELPHIA,     PA. 

Q4^o.. 


?9e<g^^9S 


BX    9869    .W8   ^^ 

ware,  H-f/;^^ Itv^  Noah 
Memoirs  of  tne  Kev 

Worcester,  D.  l>. 


£-«► 


lb 


'-^^ 


MEMOIRS 


OF    THE 


REV.  KOAH  WORCESTER,  D.  D. 


BY    THE 


EEY.   HENRY  WARE,   JR.,  D.  D 


WITH    A 


PREFACE,  NOTES,  AND  A  CONCLUDING  CHAPTER, 


By  SAMUEL  AYORCESTER. 


BOSTON: 

JAMES   MUNROE   AND   COIVIPANY 

1844. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844, 

Br  James  Munroe  and  Compant, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


boston: 
printed  by  thurston,  torrt,  &  co., 

31  Devonshire  Street. 


PREFACE. 


In  the  year  1821  the  Rev.  Joseph  Tuckerman,  D.  D., 
requested  my  father  to  write  Memoirs  of  his  own  life,  and 
about  the  same  time  I  communicated  to  him  a  similar  re- 
quest from  his  children.  It  was  with  great  reluctance  that 
he  consented  to  make  the  effort ;  but  he  commenced  the 
work  in  June  1822,  in  a  series  of  Letters  addressed  to  Dr. 
Tuckerman,  the  last  of  which  is  dated  Jan.  26,  1832. 
When  I  asked  him,  from  time  to  time,  what  progress  he 
had  made,  he  always  said  that  this  work  was  very  unpleas- 
ant to  him,  and  that  he  could  not  do  it  well.  His  time  w^as 
much  occupied  in  writing  on  other  subjects  which  he 
thought  more  important,  and  he  added  nothing  to  the 
Memoir  in  the  last  five  and  a  half  years  of  his  life. 

Many  years  before  his  death  he  expressed  a  wish  that 
the  manuscripts  which  he  might  leave  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  should  fall  into  my  hands  ;  and  he  desired  that  Dr. 
Channing,   Dr.  Tuckerman,  and   Dr.  Ware,  Jr.,   should 


iv  PREFACE. 

advise  and  assist  me  in  making  selections  for  publication. 
I  requested  him  to  leave  a  memorandum  of  his  wishes  on 
this  subject,  to  which  he  assented.  At  a  later  period  I 
requested  him  to  leave  very  explicit  directions  in  respect  to 
his  manuscripts ;  and  also  to  specify  which  of  them  he 
thought  most  important  to  have  published,  and  which  of 
his  printed  works  he  thought  most  useful  to  be  reprinted. 
This  last  request  was  made  because  I  thought  it  possible 
that  the  public  might  desire  to  have  a  uniform  edition  of 
his  most  important  writings,  together  with  his  Autobiogra- 
phy. He  seemed  pleased  with  my  suggestions,  and  said  he 
would  endeavor  to  comply  with  them. 

I  mentioned  to  my  father  two  reasons  for  making  these 
requests  :  those  whom  he  named  as  my  advisers  might  be 
unable  to  assist  me ;  and  my  views  on  several  religious 
doctrines  were  so  different  from  his  own,  that  it  might  be 
difficult  to  satisfy  others  that  I  acted  impartially,  and  ful- 
filled my  duty  to  him. 

Immediately  after  my  father's  death,  Oct.  31,  1837,  I 
took  possession  of  all  his  papers,  and  examined  them  very 
carefully ;  and,  to  my  great  regret,  no  directions,  and  no 
notice  of  my  requests  could  be  found.  I  was  thus  left 
under  the  necessity  of  acting  according  to  what  I  could 
remember  to  have  been  requested  by  him,  or  assented  to  in 
answer  to  my  suggestions.  I  made  known  my  father's 
desire  that  Drs.  Channing,  Tuckerman,  and  Ware,  should 
give  me  advice  and  assistance,  and  I  gave  them  a  full  view 
of  the  MSS.  which  he  had  left.     They  treated  me  with 


PREFACE.  '  V 

great  kindness  and  justice,  and  examined  the  Memoirs  and 
several  other  MSS. 

Not  only  these  gentlemen  and  myself,  but  all  the  relatives 
of  my  father  to  whom  I  could  show  his  Autobiography, 
were  agreed  in  the  decision  that  it  ought  not  to  be  published 
as  the  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Worcester.  It  does,  indeed, 
record  the  principal  historical  facts  belonging  to  a  suitable 
Memoir.  It  also  furnishes  many  other  useful  materials  ; 
but  it  does  not  present  his  character  and  works  as  others 
saw  them  and  ought  to  see  them,  —  it  does  not  give  any 
fair  and  adequate  view  of  the  real  usefulness  of  his  labors, 
nor  of  the  estimation  in  which  they  were  held  by  the  intel- 
ligent and  virtuous  of  his  own  times. 

It  was  the  earnest  desire  of  Dr.  Channing,  Dr.  Tucker- 
man,  and  many  other  friends  of  my  father,  that  Dr.  Ware 
should  write  his  Memoirs ;  but  the  feeble  state  of  Dr. 
Ware's  health,  and  his  numerous  and  arduous  labors,  ren- 
dered it  impossible  for  him  to  undertake  the  work  at  so 
early  a  period  as  was  desirable.  After  he  consented  to 
perform  it,  he  was  delayed  by  sickness  and  by  unforeseen 
labors ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  autumn  of  1842,  that  he  was 
able  to  devote  much  attention  to  it.  It  is  with  pain  that  I 
remember  the  anxiety  which  was  caused  him  by  this  delay. 
He  often  expressed  sorrow  that  he  had  consented  to  write 
the  Memoirs,  and  wished  that  I  would  employ  some  other 
person  ;  but  I  knew  not  how  to  find  any  one  of  equal  qual- 
ifications ;  and  I  constantly  desired  him  to  feel  at  ease  on  the 
subject,  and  not  labor  upon  it  till  he  had  health  and  leisure. 
a* 


vi  PREFACE. 

He  had  indeed  a  strong  wish  to  write  the  Memoirs  of  Dr. 
Worcester  ;  and  I  am  certain  that  no  fault  should  be  im- 
puted to  him  on  account  of  his  delaying  and  partially  failing 
to  perform  the  work. 

Dr.  Tuckerman  agreed  to  examine  all  my  father's  Man- 
uscripts, select  the  best,  and  prepare  them  for  publication. 
In  this  he  was  to  have  some  assistance  from  Dr.  Channing. 
Dr.  Tuckerman's  health  failed  before  he  performed  any  part 
of  this  labor.  His  death  and  that  of  Dr.  Channing,  left  the 
whole  work  for  Dr.  Ware  and  myself.  He  also  has  gone 
home  before  the  work  is  completed  ;  and  the  duty  of  finish- 
ing it  devolves  upon  me,  when  my  health  has  become  too 
feeble  to  perform  it  well.  All  those  whom  my  father 
named  as  my  advisers  and  assistants,  have  left  me,  to  be- 
come his  companions. 

When  T  visited  Dr.  Ware  in  Nov.  1842,  it  was  agreed 
that  I  should  make  such  inquiries  of  the  booksellers,  as 
would  help  us  to  decide  how  many  volumes  should  be 
published.  We  proposed  a  selection  from  the  printed  works 
of  my  father,  and  one  or  two  volumes  from  his  Manuscripts, 
in  addition  to  the  Memoirs.  The  state  of  the  book-market 
was  such  at  that  time,  that  it  was  deemed  improper  to  pub- 
lish any  part  of  these  works  ;  and  the  advice  given  to  Dr. 
Ware  was,  that  the  Memoirs  should  be  finished,  and  that 
we  should  wait  for  a  more  favorable  time  for  publishing. 
This  removed  from  his  mind  the  feeling  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  do  the  work  now,  and  he  permitted  other  duties  to 
take  its  place.     This  accounts  for  his  not  completing  the 


PREFACE.  vii 

Memoirs  previous  to  April  1843,  when  his  health  failed  so 
much  that  he  seems  to  have  added  nothing  to  this  work. 
After  his  death  in  September,  Mrs.  Ware  kindly  sent  me  all 
the  papers  which  she  found  relating  to  the  Memoirs. 

It  appears  that  Dr.  Ware  designed  to  have  the  work  con- 
sist of  eight  Chapters.  Five  Chapters  seem  to  be  com- 
pleted, with  the  exception  of  a  few  facts,  and  the  last  labor 
of  correcting  the  composition.  I  do  not  find  any  paper 
headed  as  Chapter  VI.,  nor  anything  that  I  am  certain  was 
intended  for  it ;  but  I  have  put  in  this  place  what  seemed 
most  suitable . 

I  find  the  beginning  of  Chapter  VII.,  and  such  things  as 
X  have  arranged  under  that  head.  For  Chapter  VIII.  I 
find  only  a  few  fragments.  He  did  not  attempt  to  write 
it,  and  has  left  only  a  few  scattered  remarks. 

It  seems  to  me  and  to  others  that  the  most  important  part 
of  the  work  is  done,  that  it  is  valuable,  and  should  not  be 
lost.  It  is  indeed  a  very  delicate  and  difficult  task,  to  pre- 
pare these  papers  for  publication  ;  and  I  should  be  wholly 
unwilling  to  undertake  it,  were  not  the  relatives  of  Dr. 
Ware  so  competent  and  so  ready  to  assist  me.  The  reader 
will  find  that  where  I  have  made  changes,  they  are  made 
in  brackets  ;  and  that  where  I  have  added  Notes,  they  are 
given  as  mine.  I  have  omitted  very  few  passages  which 
Dr.  Ware  wrote.  His  account  of  the  family  of  Noah 
Worcester,  Esq.,  in  the  first  Chapter,  was  very  imperfect ; 
I  have  therefore  omitted  it,  and  inserted  a  statement  in 
brackets. 


viii  PREFACE. 

Dr.  "Ware  intended  that  the  last  Chapter  should  give  an 
account  of  my  father's  last  days,  his  sickness,  and  his 
death ;  and  also  a  review  of  his  labors,  and  his  character. 
It  is  necessary  that  I  should  write  this  Chapter  ;  and  I  can 
give  the  facts  which  are  required,  more  easily  than  any 
other  person.  I  can  also  add  some  things  which  the  reader 
may  wish  to  know,  but  which  might  not  be  easily  said  by 
another.  But  the  general  view  of  my  father's  character 
and  labors,  with  which  Dr.  Ware  intended  to  close  the  Me- 
moirs, must  be  omitted.  The  reader  will  regret  that  Dr. 
Ware  did  not  write  it ;  but  his  regret  will  be  less  than  he 
anticipates,  when  he  finds  how  fully  Dr.  Worcester's  labors 
are  described,  and  how  justly  his  character  is  delineated, 
in  the  Chapters  which  are  completed. 

It  may  be  expected  that  I  should  give  a  more  particular 
account  of  the  Manuscripts  left  by  my  father,  than  is  con- 
tained in  the  following  Memoirs.  Dr.  Ware  did  not  read 
all  of  them  ;  but,  relying  partly  on  Dr.  Tuckerman  and 
myself,  he  selected  and  examined  those  which  seemed  to  be 
most  important.  It  may  be  well  to  name  those  which  he 
set  apart  as  the  parcel  which  he  had  examined  and  retained, 
as  what  would  probably  go  wholly  or  partialJy,  into  the 
volumes  which  he  proposed  to  publish. 

1.  "The  Messiah's  Kingdom  not  of  this  world."  This 
is  particularly  mentioned  in  the  fifth  Chapter  of  the  Me- 
moirs and  the  Note  following. 

2.  "  Appeals  to  the  Bible  in  Search  of  Truth."  It  is 
written  in  numbers,  and  treats  of  a  great  variety  of  sub- 


PREFACE.  ix 

jects,  and  would  make  a  large  volume  duodecimo.  It  is 
plain  that  this  Manuscript  was  written  with  great  care, 
and  I  recollect  that  my  father  expected  me  to  publish  it. 

3.  "  Review  of  facts  relating  to  the  Redemption  by 
Jesus  Christ."  This  also  was  prepared  with  great  care, 
and  made  ready  for  the  press.  It  would  perhaps  make 
sixty  or  eighty  pages. 

4.  "  Letters  to  a  Candid  Minister  concerning  Redemp- 
tion."    There  are  six  letters,  in  five  sheets. 

5.  "  Select  Inquiries  on  several  subjects."  This  would 
make  twenty  or  thirty  pages. 

6  "Philosophy  of  Reformation."  This  would  make 
forty  or  fifty  pages. 

These  with  a  very  few  short  pieces  are  what  Dr.  Ware 
regarded  as  the  most  important  of  the  Manuscripts. 

Another  parcel  of  the  Manuscripts  is  marked  as  not  hav- 
ing been  read  by  Dr.  Ware  in  January  1843  ;  and  it  seems 
to  me  nearly  certain  that  he  never  read  them.  The  package 
consists  of  a  very  great  number  of  short  articles,  on  a  great 
variety  of  subjects.  Several  of  these  would,  I  think,  be 
found  interesting  and  useful.  The  poetical  articles  are  very 
numerous,  and  would  make  a  large  volume  ;  but  Dr.  Ware 
did  not  think  that  they  should  be  printed.  There  are  a  few 
Sermons,  and  a  great  many  other  Manuscripts,  which  a 
judicious  editor  would  not  select  for  publication.  My  father 
seldom  wrote  any  more  than  short  notes  for  his  Sermons  ; 
and  those  which  he  preached  from  these  notes,  were  gener- 
ally the  best. 


X  PREFACE. 

I  do  not  yet  find  encouragement  for  printing  even  the 
most  valuable  of  these  Manuscripts  ;  but  I  am  willing  to 
show  them  to  the  friends  of  my  father's  sentiments,  and 
publish  them  whenever  it  is  thought  prudent. 

In  respect  to  the  following  Memoirs,  I  owe  it  to  the 
memory  of  Dr.  Ware,  to  say,  that  they  seem  to  me  to  be 
written  with  great  candor,  ability,  and  fidelity.  In  some 
parts  I  discover  marks  of  his  very  feeble  health ;  but  on 
all  the  principal  topics,  I  think  the  work  will  be  found 
highly  satisfactory. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Birth-place,  Ancestors,  Brothers.  Life  from  childhood  to 
manhood.  Service  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Resi- 
dence in  Plymouth.  Deficiencies  of  education.  How  he 
learned  to  write.  His  marriage.  His  becoming  School- 
master          .1 

CHAPTER  n. 

Removal  from  Plymouth  to  Thornton.  His  religious  charac- 
ter at  this  period.  His  occupations  during  the  first  years 
of  his  residence  at  Thornton.  His  study.  The  first  book 
that  he  wrote.  Became  the  Minister  of  Thornton;  remarks 
concerning  his  Ministry.  His  early  writings,  and  his 
habits  in  writing.  Death  of  his  wife ;  her  character. 
Second  Marriage.  Missionary  labors.  Muscular  powers 
and  loss  of  them.  Changes  in  his  opinions.  Removal  to 
Salisbury.  .         .  .         .  ....         11 

CHAPTER  HI. 

Publication  of  Bible  News  with  its  attendant  circumstances. 
He  was  invited  to  become  the  Editor  of  the  Christian 
Disciple.  35 


xU  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Removal  to  Brighton,  Mass.  Labors  as  Editor  of  the  Christ- 
ian Disciple.  His  preparation  for  the  works  for  which 
he  is  most  distinguished;  his  Solemn  Review  of  the  Cus- 
tom of  War,  and  the  Friend  of  Peace.  Character  of 
these  works.       ........         58 

CHAPTER  V. 

Later  Inquiries  and  Publications  on  Redemption  and  Human 
Nature.     Note  by  the  Editor.  ....         77 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Dr.  Worcester's  habits  in  writing  and  publishing.  His  pa- 
tience, candor,  and  conscientiousness.         ...         96 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Expressions  of  the  state  of  Dr.  Worcester's  mind  at  different 
periods,  or  his  religious   experience.  —  Editor's  Note.  101 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

[By  the  Editor.] 

Selections  from  Dr.  Ware's  manuscripts.  Extract  from  Dr. 
Channing's  Sermon.  Concluding  remarks  by  the  Ed- 
itor.        ,......••         l*! 


MEMOIRS 


OF 


THE  REV.  KOAH  WORCESTER,  D.  D. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Birth-place,  Ancestors,  Brothers.  Life  from  childhood  to 
manhood.  Service  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Resi- 
dence in  Plymouth.  Deficiencies  of  education.  How  he 
learned  to  write.  His  marriage.  His  becoming  a  School- 
master. 

[Noah  Worcester  was  born  Nov.  25th,  1758, 
at  Hollis,  N.  H.,  then  a  new  and  obscure  place, 
the  settlement  of  which  was  commenced  in  1730. 
He  was  the  oldest  son  of  Noah  Worcester,  Esq., 
who  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Francis  Worcester, 
who  was  for  some  years  pastor  of  a  church  in 
Sandwich,  Mass.,  and  who  died  at  Holhs  in  17S3. 
The  Rev.  Francis  Worcester  was  the  great  grand- 
son of  the  Rev.  William  Worcester,  who  came 
from  Salisbury  in  England,  and  was  the  first  minis- 
1 


2  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

ter  of  the  church  in  Salisbury,  Mass.,  which  was 
instituted  in  1638  and  was  the  18th  church,  in  the 
order  of  time,  formed  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

In  ''  An  Address  dehvered  on  the  Centennial 
Celebration  to  the  People  of  Hollis,  N.  H.,  Sept. 
15th,  1830,  by  the  Rev.  Grant  Powers,"  there  is 
a  notice  of  Noah  Worcester,  Esq.  and  his  family, 
from  which  the  following  extract  is  made.  "  The 
daughter  of  Mr.  Taylor  [one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Hollis],  married  Noah  Worcester,  Esq.,  whose 
memory  is  with  us  to-day  as  one  of  the  fathers  of 
the  town  for  a  long  series  of  years.  He  had  an 
active  and  vigorous  mind,  was  one  of  the  framers  of 
the  Constitution  of  this  State,  sustained  the  office 
of  magistrate  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  was  a 
member  of  this  church  more  than  sixty  years.  Mr. 
Worcester  and  his  wife  [his  first  wife]  had  seven 
children,  and  of  their  posterity  eighteen  have  either 
received  the  honors  of  college,  or  are  now  members 
of  New  England  colleges.  Eight  are,  or  have 
been,  ministers  of  the  Gospel." 

The  names  of  the  five  sons  of  Noah  Worcester, 
Esq.,  by  his  first  marriage,  were  as  follows  :  —  Noah 
Worcester,  D.  D.,  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs  ; 
Jesse   Worcester,  a  very  intelligent  and  respectable 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  3 

farmer,  who  resided  on  the  paternal  estate  at  Hol- 
hs  ;  Leonard  Worcester,  A.  M.,  ordained  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Peacham,  Vt.  in  1799  ;  Thomas 
Worcester,  A.  M.,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Sahs- 
bury,  N.  H.,  from  1797  to  1823;  and  Samuel 
Worcester,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Fitch- 
burg,  Mass.,  from  1797  to  1802  ;  and  of  the  Tab- 
ernacle church  in  Salem,  from  1803  till  his  death  in 
1821. 

Leonard  Worcester,  the  only  survivor  of  these 
brothers,  a  man  greatly  respected  for  his  talents  and 
virtues,  and  for  the  excellence  of  his  ministerial 
character,  was  bred  a  printer,  and  carried  on  the 
business  for  some  years  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  and 
was  at  the  same  time  editor  of  the  Massachusetts 
Spy.  After  a  useful  ministry  at  Peacham  of  about 
forty  years  he  was  obliged,  three  or  four  years  since, 
to  retire  from  the  public  duties  of  his  profession  on 
account  of  declining  health.  Thomas  Worcester, 
who  was  a  man  of  good  talents  and  much  esteemed, 
died  in  1831,  having  been  a  great  invalid  for  several 
years.  Samuel  Worcester,  the  only  one  of  the  five 
brothers  who  had  the  advantages  of  a  collegiate 
education,  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished theologians  of  his  age  in  this  country.     His 


4  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

name  is  associated  especially  with  the  cause  of  Mis- 
sions, he  having  been  the  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  For- 
eign Missions,  from  its  institution  in  1810  till  his 
death.] 


These  facts  show  what  must  have  been  the  do- 
mestic discipline  of  the  house  in  which  the  subject 
of  these  Memoirs  spent  his  earliest  years.  Religion 
must  have  had  there  a  favorite  and  familiar  home. 
The  air  that  he  breathed  during  childhood  was  that 
of  religion.  His  grandparents  made  part  of  the 
family,  and  he  tells  us  that  ''  all  united  to  make 
early  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind  in  favor  of 
religion  and  against  vice  ;  and  that  in  these  efforts 
they  were  so  far  successful,  that  his  religious  im- 
pressions were  of  the  earliest  date  of  any  thing  he 
can  remember,  excepting,"  he  adds,  "  a  burn  which 
I  received  in  my  bosom  when  I  was  about  two 
years  old."  From  the  time  that  he  was  twelve 
years  old  he  was  accustomed  to  lead  the  daily  wor- 
ship of  the  family  in  the  absence  of  his  father.  As 
a  proof  of  the  consciousness  which  at  the  earliest 
period  was  cultivated  in  him,  he  relates  the  distress 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  6 

which  he  once  endured,  before  he  was  five  years 
old,  at  the  idea  that  he  had  been  guihyof  the  sin  of 
falsehood  in  asserting  as  a  fact  what  had  been  told 
him  without  his  knowing  it  to  be  true  ;  and  the 
relief  which  he  experienced  in  having  the  difference 
between  an  unintentional  departure  from  truth  and  a 
design  to  deceive,  explained  to  him. 

He  was  taught  to  read  at  a  very  early  age,  and 
took  pleasure  in  reading.  He  is  remembered  as 
being  always  accounted  one  of  the  best  scholars  in 
the  school,  and  as  employing  his  leisure  time  at 
home,  in  reading  or  studying,  or  teaching  the  younger 
children.  The  best  opportunities  of  education  were 
at  that  time  and  in  that  place  but  small,  and  his 
privileges  became  poor  indeed  as  he  advanced  in 
years.  For  as  he  grew  to  be  large  and  strong  for 
his  age,  his  services  as  a  laborer  were  too  valuable 
to  be  dispensed  with,  and  he  was  only  spared  from 
the  farm  to  attend  the  brief  school  of  a  few  weeks 
during  the  winter  season.  Neither  grammar  nor 
geography  made  any  part  of  his  studies  ;  and  scan- 
ty as  his  advantages  were,  they  ceased  with  the 
winter  of  1774-5,  when  he  was  but  sixteen  years 
old. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war  the 


b  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

next  spring,  he  joined  the  army  as  a  fifer,  and 
continued  in  the  service  for  about  eleven  months. 
He  narrowly  escaped  being  made  prisoner  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill  ;  in  the  confusion  of  the 
retreat  he  ran  toward  a  party  of  the  enemy,  and 
barely  discovered  his  mistake  in  season  to  correct 
it.  He  again  was  in  the  army  for  two  months, 
"  to  please  his  father"*  he  says,  during  the  cam- 
paign of  1777.  He  was  then  fife-major.  It  was 
his  fortune  to  be  in  the  battle  of  Bennington  ; 
where,  as  he  said  afterward,  "he  felt  much  worse 
in  going  over  the  ground  the  next  day,  than  during 
the  engagement."  When  the  term  of  his  enlistment 
expired,  he  was  sohcited  with  some  urgency  to 
remain  in  the  army,  and  offers  were  made  to  raise 
his  wages  to  those  of  a  non-commissioned  officer  ; 
but  he  disliked  the  business,  and  he  was  in  love  ; 
he  therefore  persisted  in  quitting  the  camp  ;  express- 
ing devout  gratitude  to  that  kind  Providence  which 
had  led  him  unharmed  through  the  terrible  moral 
dangers  to  which  he  had  been  exposed.  "  One 
effect,    however,"    he    says,    "occurred   from  my 


*  His  father  commanded  a  company  at  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  was  ever  in  active  ser- 
vice.—  Powers'  Address. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  7 

being  in  the  army,  which  I  could  not  but  observe 
with  some  alarm.  From  my  childhood  till  I  became 
a  soldier,  my  sympathetic  affections  or  passions 
were  remarkably  tender  ;  so  that  I  was  easily  moved 
to  tears  by  any  affecting  objects  or  circumstances. 
But  the  first  funeral  I  attended  at  home  after  having 
been  in  the  army,  I  was  shocked  to  find  myself  so 
changed  and  so  unmoved  on  such  an  occasion." 

The  interval  between  his  two  military  expeditions 
was  in  several  respects  an  important  period  of  his 
life.  He  resided  for  a  time  in  the  family  of  his  uncle 
Francis  Worcester  at  Plymouth,  whither  he  had  gone 
with  a  view  to  engaging  in  the  manufacture  of  ma- 
ple sugar.  Here  was  residing  also  his  uncle's  step- 
daughter, Hannah  Brown,  a  native  of  Newburyport, 
a  fine  girl  of  sixteen,  whose  admirable  qualities 
attracted  his  warmest  affection.  A  mutual  attach- 
ment grew  up  between  the  young  pair,  and  spite  of 
poverty,  war,  and  youth,  they  pledged  themselves 
to  each  other.  This  was  in  the  season  of  1776-7. 
He  was  eighteen  years  old,  she  was  sixteen. 

It  was  during  this  winter  too  that  he  first  occu- 
pied himself  as  an  instructor.  He  undertook  the 
care  of  the  village  school  ;  and,  notwithstanding 
what  we   have  seen  must  have  been  his    very  in- 


8  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

adequate  preparation  for  such  a  task,  he  acquitted 
himself  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  employers,  and 
pursued  the  occupation  for  nine  successive  winters. 
He  was  perfectly  aware  of  his  deficiencies,  and 
anxious  and  resolute  to  remove  them.  He  availed 
himself  with  diligence  of  the  best  means  within  his 
reach.  How  good  these  were,  and  what  obstacles 
he  had  to  contend  against  may  be  seen  in  his  ac- 
count of  them. 

"  In  the  course  of  that  winter,  I  probably  ac- 
quired more  useful  knowledge  than  I  had  even 
before  done  in  any  two  winters  by  going  to  school. 
After  I  became  an  instructor  I  felt  the  importance  of 
learning,  and  exerted  myself  to  obtain  it  by  such 
means  as  were  then  within  my  power.  I  found 
myself  deficient  in  the  art  of  writing  ;  and  being  at 
Plymouth  in  N.  H.  in  the  summer  season,  where  it 
was  difficult  to  procure  paper  during  the  war,  I 
wrote  over  a  quantity  of  white  birch  bark,  in  imi- 
tation of  some  excellent  copies  which  I  found  in 
that  place.  By  this  means  I  made  considerable 
improvement  in  leisure  hours  and  rainy  weather. 
About  this  time  I  procured  a  dictionary,  which  was 
the  first  I  ever  had  the  privilege  of  perusing,  though 
I  was  then  in  my  eighteenth  year." 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  9 

So  young,  and  yet  already  he  had  been  in  one 
battle  and  was  soon  to  be  in  another,  had  taught 
school  one  winter,  and  was  engaged  to  be  married. 
This  engagement,  as  was  natural,  seems  to  have 
hastened  his  settlement  in  life.  In  September, 
1778,  he  purchased  of  his  father  the  remainder  of 
his  minority,  and  left  home  for  Plymouth,  intending 
to  make  that  town  the  place  of  his  residence,  and 
expecting  to  spend  his  days  as  a  farmer,  except  so 
far  as  he  might  obtain  employment  as  a  schoolmaster. 
Here  he  was  married  the  next  year,  on  the  day  he 
was  twenty-one  years  of  age. 

And  now,  having  accompanied  him  up  to  man- 
hood, what  have  we  found  in  his  circumstances, 
character  or  education,  to  give  any  prediction  of 
the  place  which  he  was  afterward  to  fill  in  life  ? 
What  was  there  so  extraordinary,  that,  if  he  had 
died  then,  any  one  should  say,  "  Alas,  alas,  the 
world  has  lost  a  benefactor  ;  the  progress  of  man  is 
put  back  ?  "  A  conscientious  child,  a  good  boy, 
an  enterprising  youth,  hopeful,  diligent  and  brave  ; 
but  so  far  from  being  apparently  on  the  path  to  liter- 
ary eminence  or  distinction  of  life,  he  has  barely 
studied  enough  to  attain  the  accomplishment  of  a 
district  school  teacher,  and  that  in  a  region  so  ob- 


10  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

sciire  and  so  remote  from  the  means  of  improvement, 
that  his  paper  has  been  birch  bark,  and  he  meets  no 
dictionary  till  he  has  reached  his  eighteenth  year. 
No  one  could  doubt  that  with  his  athletic  frame,  his 
capacity  for  labor  and  his  spirit  of  enterprise,  he 
would  make  his  way  in  the  world,  and  probably 
thrive.  No  one  could  doubt  ihat  with  his  exemplary 
correctness  of  life  and  readiness  to  serve  others,  he 
would  be  a  useful  member  of  society.  But  he  was 
now  settled  for  life,  as  a  small  farmer  in  a  small 
place.  To  human  eye  there  was  no  prospect  that 
he  could  ever  move  in  any  other  sphere,  or  be  known 
beyond  the  hmits  of  his  own  village.  In  this  case  as 
in  multitudes  of  others,  how  strikingly  was  the  say- 
ing verified,  "It  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to 
direct  his  steps  !  " 


CHAPTER  II. 

Removal  from  Plymouth  to  Thornton.  Hts  religious  charac- 
ter at  this  period.  His  occupations  during  the  first  years 
of  his  residence  at  Thornton.  His  study.  The  first  book 
that  he  wrote.  Became  the  Minister  of  Thornton  3  remarks 
concerning  his  Ministry.  Mis  early  writings,  and  his  hab- 
its in  writing.  Death  of  his  wife  ;  her  character.  Second 
Marriage.  Missionary  laboi's.  Muscular  powers,  and  loss 
of  them.     Changes  in  his  opinions.    Removal  to  Salisbury. 

"  From  the  facts  and  circumstances  which  have 
been  already  mentioned,"  —  we  now  copy  from  the 
autobiography,  —  "it  will  be  obvious  to  you,  that 
to  the  time  of  my  marriage,  my  advantages  for 
acquiring  knowledge  must  have  been  very  small  ; 
perhaps  not  half  so  good  as  are  now  generally 
enjoyed  in  my  native  town.  *  *  *  I  shall  here 
mention  one  fact  which  has  seemed  to  myself  re- 
markable, when  compared  with  the  course  I  have 


12  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

pursued  since  I  was  twenty-five  years  of  age.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  I  think  I  had  never  written 
any  compositions  of  my  own  of  any  kind,  except 
such  as  the  following.  I  had  written  letters  on  my 
own  account  and  for  others  who  had  friends  in  the 
army.  1  had  probably  written  notes,  bonds,  and 
deeds,  some  of  which  I  recollect.  When  teaching 
a  school,  I  was  in  the  habit  of  composing  copies 
for  my  scholars,  and  questions  in  Arithmetic,  instead 
of  taking  them  from  books.  Excepting  such  com- 
positions as  have  now  been  named,  I  have  no  recol- 
lections of  having  written  any  of  my  own  till  after  I 
was  married.  I  had,  however,  from  my  childhood 
been  much  in  the  habit  of  reflection  and  inquiry  ; 
and  probably  I  was  too  much  inclined  to  argument 
and  disputation,  on  various  subjects.  I  think  I  was 
not  more  than  twelve  years  old  when  this  propensity 
was  mentioned  to  me  as  one  of  my  faults.  Though 
the  propensity  was  doubtless  in  some  instances 
imprudently  indulged,  it  was  probably  a  means  of 
my  advancement  in  knowledge. 

"  The  first  of  my  compositions  of  a  nature  differ- 
ent from  those  I  have  mentioned,  were  argumenta- 
tive, and  in  the  form  of  objections  to  the  first  pro- 
posed constitution  for  the  state  of  New  Hampshire. 


MEMOIRS    OP    NOAH    WORCESTER.  13 

A  Convention  of  delegates  had  formed  a  constitution, 
which  they  caused  to  be  printed  and  sent  to  the 
different  towns  with  a  request  that  such  objections 
as  should  occur  might  be  stated  in  writing  with 
reasons  for  their  support,  and  forwarded  to  the 
Convention  at  their  next  meeting.  I  had  the  cu- 
riosity to  examine  the  constitution,  and  finding  some 
things  in  it  which  I  deemed  objectionable,  I  stated 
them  in  WTiting,  and  showed  them  to  a  neighbor. 
In  consequence  of  these  steps,  I  was  chosen  by 
the  town  as  one  of  the  committee  to  examine  the 
constitution,  and  state  such  objections  as  should 
occur.  As  the  committee  were  apprized  of  the 
fact  that  I  had  paid  some  attention  to  the  subject, 
the  task  of  wTiting  was  assigned  to  me.  This  1 
performed  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  committee  and 
of  the  town.  By  this  first  effort,  I  acquired  a 
taste  for  writing,  and  a  hope  that  by  further  prac- 
tice I  might  be  able  to  write  to  advantage.'' 

As  no  date  is  given,  it  is  not  clear  whether  this 
took  place  during  Mr.  Worcester's  residence  in 
Plymouth,  or  after  his  removal  to  Thornton.  To 
the  latter  place,  a  small  town  in  the  neighborhood, 
he  removed  in  February,  1782,  about  three  and  a 
half  years  after  his  marriage.  Here  his  religious 
2 


14         MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

character  seems  to  have  received  a  quickened  devel- 
opment, and  he  made  a  profession  of  religion  in  the 
succeeding  August.  His  brief  account  of  this  event 
it  is  proper  to  give  in  his  own  words.  "  When  I 
removed  from  Plymouth  to  Thornton,  neither  my 
wife  nor  myself  had  joined  any  church  as  members. 
This  neglect  was  not,  I  believe,  in  either  of  us,  the 
fruit  of  disrespect  to  religion  or  its  institutions. 
We  had  been  educated  under  the  influence  of 
Christian  instruction,  and  had  grown  up,  as  I  trust, 
under  the  influence  of  religious  principles.  Though 
our  love  and  obedience  had  been  imperfect,  we  had 
a  reverence  for  God,  and  for  the  precepts  of  the 
gospel.  But  neither  of  us  could  name  the  day  of 
our  conversion,  nor  could  we  honestly  relate  such 
distressing  agitations  of  mind  and  subsequent  trans- 
ports of  joy  as  we  had  heard  from  the  lips  of  others, 
and  which  we  had  been  led  to  regard  as  the  evi- 
dences of  having  been  born  of  God.  We  had 
not  duly  reflected  on  the  fact,  that  these  are  not  the 
evidences  of  a  good  heart  which  are  mentioned  in 
the  Bible.  But  after  we  removed  to  Thornton,  we 
were  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Experience 
Estabrook,  an  eminently  pious  man,  and  by  his 
preaching  and  conversation  we  were  led  to  a  more 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  15 

serious  consideration  of  the  importance  of  showing 
our  regard  to  God  and  to  the  precepts  of  his  Son, 
by  becoming  more  openly  professors  of  rehgion. 
And  after  much  serious  thought  and  inquiry  we 
obtained  such  satisfaction  that  we  were  encouraged 
to  become  members  of  the  church,  though  not  both 
at  the  same  time. 

''  I  have  long  been  convinced  that  the  same  incor- 
rect views  by  which  we  were  detained  from  joining 
the  church  at  an  earlier  period,  have  had  a  similar 
effect  on  the  minds  of  many  others,  who  were 
truly  pious  people  ;  and  that  such  views  have  not 
only  subjected  many  pious  Christians  to  great  per- 
plexity, but  have  retarded  their  advances  in  true 
godliness,  and  exposed  them  to  temptation.  It  is 
on  many  accounts  a  great  advantage  to  persons  of 
real  piety  to  be  known  as  professors  of  religion, 
and  particularly  so  as  it  tends  to  their  greater  watch- 
fulness and  circumspection.  When  they  are  known 
as  professors,  they  must  be  aware  that  it  is  expected 
of  them  to  act  according  to  their  profession.  But 
while  they  are  known  as  non-professors  they  are 
often  exposed  to  conform  to  practices  which  their 
consciences  condemn." 

After  thus  joining  the  church,  and  probably  in 


16  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

consequence  of  the   state  of  mind  and  feeling  con- 
neted  with  that  act, — he  formed  the  habit,  he  says, 
of  "  examining  religious   subjects   by  writing  short 
dissertations  on  different  questions."     He  thus  went 
through   a  long   process  of  self-education  ;    not    so 
much  as  is  apparent,  from  views  of  ulterior  advan- 
tage as  simply  from  the  activity  of  his  own  mind, 
and  for  the  satisfaction  of  his  thought.      This  he  did 
in  the  midst  of  many  hindrances.     With  an  increas- 
ing family,   and  no  means   of  subsistence  but    the 
labor  of  his  own  hands,   he  yet  contrived  to  make 
time  for  the  studies  that  interested  him.     In  order  to 
this  it  was  necessary  to  subject  himself  to  "exces- 
sive labor  while  at  work  ;  "  to  snatch  intervals  as  he 
could  between   school  hours  in  the  winter,   on  the 
sabbath,    and  in  the   night  when  others  were  sleep- 
ing.     At   this  period   and  for  many  years  after,  he 
employed    himself  a   portion    of  the  time   in   shoe- 
making  ;  and  much   of  his  studying  and  writing  was 
done  while  he  sat  at  work  upon  his  bench.     At  the 
end  of  the  bench  lay   his  lap-board,  with  his   pen, 
ink  and  paper  upon  it.     When   thoughts  came  upon 
him   clearly  and   were  ready   to   be  expressed,  he 
laid  down   his   shoe,    placed  the    lap-board   on  his 
knees,  and  wrote.     In  this  way,  he  informs  us,  he 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  17 

wrote  "  nearly  half  of  all  that  he  wrote  on  religious 
subjects,  before  he  began  to  preach  ;  —  including 
the  five  sermons  which  formed  his  stock  to  begin 
with,  and  the  first  pamphlet  which  he  ever  pub- 
lished."* 

These  habits  of  thought  and  study  were  gradu- 
ally preparing  the  way  for  a  change  of  life.  So 
inquisitive  and  active  a  mind  could  not  be  hidden. 
In  the  year  17S5,  being  excited  by  a  sermon  of 
the  Rev.  John  Murray  on  the  "  Origin  of  Evil," 
he  ventured  to  send  what  he  had  written  to  the 
press  in  the  shape  of  "Letter"  to  the  Author. 
Of  this  act  and  its  consequences  he  thus  speaks  in 
his  autobiographical  letters. 

"  "Whatever  may  now  be  thought  by  myself  or 
others,  as  to  the  prudence  of  my  publishing  that 
work,  or  as  to  the  correctness  of  its  sentiments, 
that  effort  unquestionably  prepared  the  way  for  my 
being  approbated  and  received  as  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel.  I  had  abundant  reason  to  think  that  the 
work  was  highly  approved  by  a  number  of  the  most 


*  He  sometimes  wrote  in  this  manner  at  a  much  later  period. 
I  was  born  in  1793;  and  I  distinctly  remember  seeing  him 
thus  employed.  —  Editor. 

2* 


18  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

distinguished  ministers  of  the  Hopkinsian  denomina- 
tion. Prior  to  publishing  that  pamphlet  I  had  often 
thought  of  the  ministry  as  a  desirable  work,  but 
I  had  never  thought  of  it  with  expectation  that  I 
should  engage  in  it,  till  the  subject  was  proposed 
by   my  friend   Mr.  Church.*     I  had  submitted  to 


*The  Rev.  Selden  Church,  —  of  whom  Dr.  Worcester  in 
another  place  speaks  in  the  following  terms.  "  A  little  prior 
to  this  I  had  become  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  Selden  Church, 
the  minister  of  Campton,  a  town  adjoining  to  Plymouth. 
He  was  a  man  of  learning  and  ingenuity,  and,  as  I  believe,  a 
pious  man,  but  remarkable  for  his  modesty.  He  was  an  acute 
metaphysician,  though  not  very  popular  as  a  preacher.  He 
was  a  Hopkinsian  in  his  theological  opinions,  but  a  man  of 
genuine  candor.  I  had  been  educated  in  a  firm  belief  of  the 
Westminster  Catechism.  INIr.  Church  exercised  towards  me 
the  most  kind  and  condescending  disposition,  and  seemed  to 
take  delight  in  doing  all  he  could  for  the  improvement  of  my 
mind.  He  lent  me  books  and  conversed  with  me  till  he 
shook  my  confidence  in  some  of  the  articles  of  faith  in  the 
Westminster  Catechism,  and  led  me  on  by  degrees  till  I 
adopted  most  of  his  Hopkinsian  views.  I  have  seldom  been 
acquainted  with  a  man  of  any  denomination,  who  was  less 
disused  than  he  was  to  make  his  own  creed  a  test  in  judging 
of  the  characters  of  those  who  diff'ered  from  him.  A  censo- 
rious disposition  seemed  to  have  no  place  in  his  heart;  and 
yet  few  were  more  capable  than  he  was  of  vindicating  his 
own    opinions,   or   of  exposing   what  he    deemed  errors  in 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  19 

his  inspection  much  of  the  Httle  I  had  written  on 
various  subjects,  and  he  was  in  the  habit  of  using 
great  freedom  in  his  conversation  with  me.  Near 
the  close  of  one  of  our  interviews,  he  put  the 
question ;  whether  I  did  not  think  of  becoming  a 
minister  ?  The  question  was  to  me  unexpected  and 
surprising.  I  replied  that  I  could  not  say  I  had 
never  thought  on  the  subject,  but  I  had  not  thought 
of  it  as  a  thing  attainable.  He  frankly  expressed 
his  opinion,  that  I  might  be  more  useful  in  that 
work  than  in  any  other.  I  stated  what  appeared  to 
me  very  formidable  objections.  These  he  endea- 
vored to  obviate,  and  assured  me  that  in  his  opinion, 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  my  obtaining  the 
approbation  of  the  ministers  of  the  association  to 
which  he  belonged,  and  he  moreover  advised  me  to 

others.  In  February,  1782,  I  removed  from  Plymouth  to 
Thornton,  where  I  was  still  nearer  to  my  friend  Mr.  Church, 
than  I  was  when  I  lived  at  Plymouth  ;  and  our  intimacy  con- 
tinued and  increased.  The  conversation  and  example  of  my 
friend  were,  I  think,  of  great  advantage  to  me,  as  to  their 
influence  in  saving  me  from  indulging  or  imbibing  censorious 
feelings  towards  persons  or  sects  of  different  opinions  from 
my  own.  From  that  period  to  the  present,  I  have  regarded 
such  feelings  as  unchristian,  and  as  evincing  a  great  want  of 
humility  and  benevolence." 


20  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

take  the  subject  into  serious  consideration.  With 
this  advice  I  compHed,  and  was  for  many  months  in 
doubt  as  to  the  path  of  duty.  I  conversed  with 
some  other  ministers,  and  private  friends,  who 
seemed  to  encourage  the  object.  The  more  I 
reflected,  the  more  I  was  incHned  to  undertake  the 
work,  if  it  could  be  done  with  a  prospect  of  use- 
fulness. It  was  then  and  still  is  my  opinion, 
that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  seek  for  that 
situation  in  life  in  which  he  may  probably  be  the 
most  useful,  or  do  the  most  good.  After  much 
reflection,  I  resolved  to  offer  myself  for  examina- 
tion. [1786.]  I  readily  obtained  the  approbation  of 
ministers,  and  preached  my  first  sermon  at  Bos- 
cawen  in  New  Hampshire.  From  the  time  I  began 
to  preach,  I  was  never  refused  the  pulpit  of  any 
minister,  either  on  account  of  my  peculiar  opinions, 
or  on  account  of  my  want  of  a  classical  educa- 
tion. 

"  Though  I  have  never  doubted  the  friendship  or 
sincerity  of  those  ministers,  who  advised  and  en- 
couraged me  to  become  a  preacher  ;  yet  I  have 
often  doubted  whether  I  could  have  given  similar 
advice  under  similar  circumstances.  My  want  of 
education  was  great ;  I  had  a  wife  and  three  chil- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  21 

dren  who  depended   for  support  on  the  fruit  of  my 
labors ;    I   was   ennbarrassed  with    debt,    by   having 
purchased  a  farm  at  an  unfavorable  lime  during  the 
war  ;  I  had  found  no  leisure   for  regular  study  ;  and 
when  or  where  I  should  obtain  regular  employment 
as  a  preacher,  was  altogether  uncertain.     When  in 
later  years  I  have   seriously  reflected  on  these  sev- 
eral facts,  it  has  seemed   to  me  wonderful  that  wise 
men  should   have   advised  me   to  make  the  attempt 
to  become   a  minister,    and   also   wonderful   that  I 
was    induced    to    comply    with  their    advice.     But 
doubtless  God  had  some  wise  design  in  so  ordering 
the  event." 

The    preaching    of    Mr.  Worcester   appears   to 
have  been  acceptable  from  the  first,  and  so  approved 
itself  to  Mr.  Estabrook,    the  minister  of  Thornton, 
that  he  immediately  recommended  him  to  the  people 
as  his   successor  ;  he   being   desirous   to  resign  his 
charge.       This   he   did  in  December,    1786  ;    and 
Mr.  Worcester,   having   sj)ent  the  subsequent  win- 
ter as  usual,  in  teaching  school,  preached  for  some 
months   in   the   following  spring  and  summer  as    a 
candidate,   and   was  ordained   over    the    church    in 
Thornton,   on  the    18ih  of  the  following   October  ; 
having  been  a  preacher  somewhat  less  than  a  year. 


22         MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

He  had  been  a  resident  in  the  town  for  five  years 
and  a  half;  was  well  known  and  respected  ;  had 
served  in  many  pubhc  trusts  ;  had  been  school- 
master, selectman,  town  clerk,  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  representative  to  the  General  Court.  The 
people  now  testified  their  confidence  in  him  by 
making  him  their  minister.  And  here  he  fulfilled 
a  useful  and  harmonious  ministry  of  twenty-three 
years'  duration.  "  I  have  never  found  in  any 
place,"  is  the  testimony  of  one  who  knew,  "  so 
much  harmony  and  mutual  confidence  as  did  exist 
between  him  and  his  people."  The  town  was 
small  and  humble,  and  the  people  few  and  poor  ; 
they  met  for  worship  in  a  dwelling  house  or  school- 
house.*     His  salary  scantily  supported  life,  being 

*  In  this  place  Dr.  Ware  has  marked  a  Query  in  the  mar- 
gin, and  I  suppose  it  relates  to  the  places  where  the  society 
met  for  worship.  Concerning  this  matter  I  have  inquired  of 
my  oldest  brother,  now  residing  in  Thornton,  and  he  has 
inquired  of  others.  The  answer  is,  that  the  meeting-house  in 
which  my  father  preached  was  built  in  1790,  or  1791 ;  and 
that,  previous  to  this,  the  meetings  were  held  "in  private 
houses  and  barns."  The  building  erected  in  1790  or  1791, 
would  not  in  the  present  age  be  called  a  Meeting-house.  It 
was  never  finished  inside,  but  the  outer  covering  was  decent 
in  its  day. —  Editor, 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  23 

two   hundred  dollars  ;  and   as  many  could  ill  afford 
to    pay  their    proportion  of  even  that    small   sum, 
he  was    accustomed,   as  the  time   of  collecting   it 
drew  nigh,  to  relinquish  his  claims  by  giving  to  the 
poorer   among  them   receipts   in  full.     The   rehef 
granted  them  in  this  way,  sometimes  amounted  to  a 
fourth  or  even  a  third  part  of  his  salary.     He  was 
thus  made  to   continue   still   dependent  for  his  sup- 
port in  a  great  measure  on  the  labor  of  his  hands, 
partly    on  the  farm,    and  partly  in   making    shoes. 
But  he  was  far  from  fancying  this  scantiness  of  pay 
and  necessity  of  toil  any  exemption  from  the  obliga- 
tion to  do  the  utmost  for  his  people.     On  the  con- 
trary, he  was   ready   to   engage   in  extra  labor  for 
them  ;  and  when  it  happened,   for  example,   as  it 
^sometimes  did,  that  the  provision  for  a  winter  school 
failed,  he  threw  open  the   doors  of  his  ovvn  house, 
invited  the   children  into  his  study,  and  gave  them 
his  time  and  care  as   assiduously  as  if  he  had  been 
their  regularly  appointed  teacher. 

Of  the  style  and  manner  of  his  preaching,  and 
the  principles  which  he  adopted  in  preparation  for 
the  pulpit,  we  have  a  brief  account  from  his  own 
pen. 

''  In  the  early  part  of  my  ministry  I  was  in  the 


24?  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

habit  of  preaching  what  would  now  be  deemed  long 
sermons.  I  was  seldom  less  than  three  quarters  of 
an  hour  in  the  delivery  of  a  discourse,  and  often 
exceeded  an  hour.  I  spoke  too  with  unusual  rapid- 
ity at  that  period  of  my  ministry.  Of  course  it  was 
considerable  labor  to  prepare  my  sermons  ;  for  I 
wrote  them  out  entirely,  and  was  much  confined  to 
my  notes  in  speaking.  I  had,  however,  a  strong 
desire  to  acquire  the  power  and  habit  of  speaking 
without  notes.  But  when  I  had  preached  more 
than  two  years,  I  almost  despaired  of  ever  acquiring 
what  I  so  ardently  desired.  At  length,  however,  I 
determined  to  make  an  effort.  I  wrote  out  my 
sermon  as  usual,  and  committed  it  to  memory.  I 
took  my  notes  with  me,  that  I  might  look  at  them 
if  necessary.  But  I  named  and  repeated  the  text, 
and  delivered  the  discourse  without  looking  at  my 
manuscript.  My  people  then  met  in  a  dwelling 
house,  and  some  of  them  could  not  see  the  preacher. 
I  was  informed  that  those  parishioners  who  were  so 
situated  as  not  to  see  me,  had  not  the  least  suspicion 
that  I  spoke  without  reading.  It  had  always  been 
my  aim  to  deliver  my  discourses  as  though  I  was 
talking  to  the  assembly,  rather  than  reading  to 
them.     Of  course   little   change   appeared   in   my 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    ^yORCESTER.  25 

manner,  when  I  began  to  speak  memoriter.  My 
success  in  the  first  attempt  was  greatly  encouraging 
to  my  mind ;  and  I  generally  pursued  the  same 
method  for  several  years  —  that  is,  writing  my  ser- 
mons, committing  them  to  memory,  and  delivering 
them  without  looking  at  my  notes.  In  this  way  I 
soon  acquired  a  habit  of  speaking  extempore  as  well 
memoriter.  As  my  health  became  feeble,  and  as 
the  labor  of  committing  to  memory  was  considera- 
ble, I  found  it  necessary  to  change  my  course.  I 
then  adopted  the  method  of  writing  what  I  could  of 
my  discourses,  or  so  much  as  health  would  allow, 
and  then  copying  the  heads  of  the  discourse,  and 
some  short  memoranda,  for  illustration  ;  these  I 
made  use  of  in  delivery  instead  of  committing  the 
discourses  to  memory.  For  a  time  my  health  was 
so  feeble,  that  I  had  to  discontinue  preaching  ;  and 
when  I  resumed  it  I  had  not  health  to  write  my 
discourses  —  excepting  some  leading  thoughts.  At 
some  periods  of  my  ministry  I  must  have  resigned 
the  office  had  I  not  been  able  to  speak  extempore. 
For  the  improvement  of  my  own  mind,  I  deemed  it 
my  duty  to  write  as  much  as  my  health  would  per- 
mit, as  I  found  that  I  could  study  best  with  a  pen  in 
my  hand.  I  was  far  from  the  opinion  that  unwritten, 
3 


26  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

or  unpremeditated  discourses  are  more  pleasing  to 
God  or  more  useful  to  men  than  those  which  are 
well  studied  and  written  correctly.  The  divine  aid 
is  as  necessary  in  writing  as  in  speaking,  and  is  as 
sure  to  be  obtained  if  duly  sought ;  —  and  as  wri- 
ting is  one  of  the  best  methods  of  improving  the 
mind,  it  surely  ought  not  to  be  neglected  under  the 
pretence  of  exhibiting  a  more  perfect  trust  in  God 
for  what  we  shall  speak  in  public  for  the  benefit  of 
mankind." 

"  I  seldom  preached  what  could  be  termed  an 
abstruse  discourse.  I  endeavored  to  accommodate 
my  preaching  to  the  capacities  of  my  audience,  and 
to  avoid  giving  a  controversial  aspect  to  my  ser- 
mons. Whatever  doctrine  I  attempted  to  illus- 
trate, 1  endeavored  to  apply  it  to  practical  pur- 
poses. 

"  The  changes  which  from  time  to  time  occurred 
in  my  own  views  of  doctrines,  or  of  particular 
passages  of  Scripture,  had  a  salutary  effect  on  my 
own  mind.  It  occasioned  me  to  become  more  and 
more  aware  of  my  own  liability  to  err  ;  to  be  less 
self-confident  and  dogmatical  in  stating  my  opinions  ; 
to  be  more  candid  towards  those  who  dissented  from 
me,  "and    to   forbear  any  censorious  denunciations 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  27 

against  the  people  of  other  sects,  as  though  they 
must  be  destitute  of  piety.  In  the  whole  course  of 
my  ministry,  I  think  I  never  did  in  any  instance 
reproach  the  people  of  any  sect  as  destitute  of  piety 
or  the  Christian  character  ;  and  wholesale  censures 
ever  appeared  to  me  antichristian,  and  more  deserv- 
ing of  censure  than  any  mere  error  of  opinion.  I 
frankly  expressed  my  own  opinions,  and  often  ex- 
posed what  I  believed  to  be  errors  ;  but  I  seldom 
named  any  sect  in  my  preaching  as  possessing 
erroneous  opinions.  I  had  satisfactory  evidence  to 
my  own  mind  that  there  were  good  people  in  each 
of  the  sects  with  which  I  had  been  particularly 
acquainted,  and  I  entertained  a  hope  that  it  was  so 
with  all  the  sects  of  professed  Christians.  It  was 
therefore  very  painful  to  me  to  sit  and  hear  a 
preacher  of  my  own  denomination  reproach  the 
ministers  or  the  people  of  another  sect.  Such  con- 
duct seemed  to  me  more  like  the  sin  of  reviling, 
than  like  the  love  required  by  the  gospel.  Very 
early  I  became  convinced  that  the  opinions  of  peo- 
ple in  general  are  the  fruit  of  education  ;  and  that 
those  who  have  had  the  misfortune  to  be  educated 
in  error,  are  objects  of  pity  rather  than  censure." 
His   activity  of  mind  was  constant.     He  was  a 


2S  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

Student  and  thinker.     He   entered  with  interest  into 
the  subjects   which    engaged    public  attention,    and 
pursued  with  ardor   and  perseverance  those  which 
excited  his  own.     He  had  the  good  habit  of  study- 
ing with   pen  in  hand,   writing  his  thoughts  on  the 
subjects  which  he  w^ould  thoroughly  investigate.     It 
has  beed  said,  in  exaggerated  terms,  but  with  some- 
thing of  plausible  foundation,  "  that  it  was  his  prac- 
tice  to   write  a   book  on  whatever  subject  he  was 
studying  ;    that   in   studying   grammar   he    wrote    a 
Grammar ;    that  he  did    the   same    in   Arithmetic, 
&c."     This   constant  use  of  the  pen  naturally  led 
to  frequent  publication.     He  contributed  during  this 
period   to   the  public  journals.     He  wrote  largely, 
as  we  learn  from  a  memorandum   found  among  his 
papers,  for  the  Theological  Magazine  in  New  York. 
The  series  of  papers  entitled  "  Tlie  Variety,"  was 
from  his   pen.     He   published    also  in  a  periodical 
printed  at  Concord,  and   in   the  newspapers.     The 
habit   thus   early  formed  of  putting  his   thoughts  on 
paper,    followed    him  through    life,    and  became    a 
never-failing  source  of  companionship  and  content, 
w^hen  sickness   and   solitude  closed   against  him  the 
common  resources  of  life. 

A   ministry  thus   past  in    diligent  study  and  the 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  29 

usual  routine  of  duty  in  a  small  and  obscure  parish, 
affords  few  materials  for  history.  Important  as  the 
processes  may  be  which  are  going  on  within,  and  inter- 
esting as  they  may  be  to  the  individual,  they  are 
interesting  and  known  to  others  only  in  their  subse- 
quent results.  The  events  that  we  can  relate  dur- 
ing this  period  are  few.  One  of  the  most  important 
was  the  affliction  which  he  suffered  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  who  was  taken  from  him  in  November 
1797,  after  a  happy  marriage  of  eighteen  years. 
Her  death  was  occasioned  by  the  accident  of  fall- 
ing from  her  horse.  The  people  assembling  for 
worship  on  thanksgiving  day,  were  met  by  the 
tidings  that  their  minister's  wife  was  in  the  agonies 
of  death.  A  deep  impression  seems  to  have  been 
made  by  the  event.  The  afflicted  husband  preached 
in  his  place  on  the  sabbath  following,  from  2  Cor. 
i.  3,  4  ;  and  late  in  life  declared,  that  he  never 
"  before  or  since  witnessed  a  more  solemn  assembly 
than  on  that  occasion."  The  tenderness  with  which 
the  memory  of  this  early  object  of  his  affections 
dwelt  upon  his  mind,  is  manifested  in  a  little  poem 
in  which  he  vented  his  feelings  when  more  than 
seventy  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Worcester  seems  to 
have  been  a  woman  well  deserving  to  be  loved  and 
3* 


30  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

remembered  ;  of  quick  parts  and  amiable  disposi- 
tions ;  "modest,  prudent,  industrious,  truly  pious, 
and  highly  esteemed  by  the  people  of  the  parish  in 
which  she  lived  ;  as  well  as  an  exemplary  wife  and 
affectionate  mother."  Alas,  how  much  illustrious 
worth  in  private  places  goes  down  unrecorded  to 
the  grave  !  Let  us,  when  we  can,  snatch  from 
oblivion  some  of  the  humble  names  which  were 
precious  in  their  day,  and  cause  them  to  live  a  little 
longer  on  the  earth  which  they  did  something  to 
adorn  and  bless.* 

*I  cannot  pass  b}^  t]iis  beautiful  tribute  to  my  motlier's 
memory  without  thanking  Dr.  Ware  for  it.  From  all  that  I 
have  ever  been  able  to  learn  concerning  her,  1  have  good  rea- 
son to  suppose  that  she  was  a  woman  of  very  uncommon 
excellence  of  character.  She  died  when  I  was  a  little  less 
than  four  years  and  three  months  old.  But  I  remember  a  few 
of  her  reproofs  and  chastisements,  and  many  of  her  caresses; 
and  her  countenance  and  some  articles  of  her  dress  are  dis- 
tinctly remembered.  Indeed,  she  has  generally  seemed  pres- 
ent and  visible  to  my  mind  when  I  have  thought  of  her. 
Others  who  have  died  seem  removed  and  invisible  ;  but  my 
mother  often  seems  actually  present  so  that  she  can  impart  to 
my  mind  her  own  thoughts  and  feelings. 

In  every  age  of  the  Christian  church  many  have  believed 
that  their  departed  friends  were  ministering  spirits  attendant 
on  them  ;  but  I  suppose  it  uncommon  for  any  one  to  be  dis- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  31 

Left  with  the  charge  of  eight  children,  under 
circumstances  of  great  trial  and  difficulty,  it  soon 
became  imperative  on  the  bereaved  father  to  provide 
as  he  best  might  for  their  well-being.  The  sisters 
of  his  deceased  wife  joined  with  others  in  the 
advice,  and  he  was  married  on  the  twenty-second  of 
May,  1798,  to  Miss  Hannah  Huntington,  a  native 
of  Norwich,  Connecticut,  then  residing  in  Hanover, 
N.  H.  She  lived  to  be  the  comforter  of  his  later 
years,  and  died  five  years  before  him.  "  To  her 
economy,  industry,  prudence,  and  unwearied  solici- 
tude for  his  health  and  prosperity,"  he  declared 
himself  "  much  indebted,  not  only  for  his  comfort, 
but  for  his  ability  to  bring  up  his  children  and  to 
pursue  his  studies." 

In  1802,  on  the  formation  of  the  New  Hampshire 

tinctly  conscious  of  the  presence  of  such  friends,  and  of  com- 
munications from  tliem.  But,  tliousands  of  times  liave  I 
been  blessed  with  my  mother's  smiles  when  she  approved  my 
thoughts  and  feelings  ;  and  as  many  times,  when  she  disap- 
proved them,  have  I  distinctly  heard  Jier  say,  —  '•'  Samuel,  do 
not  do  so."  Especially  during  my  childhood  and  youth,  shg 
seemed  to  be  my  guardian  angel,  and  was  often  visible  to  me; 
and  during  fifty  years  I  have  had  abundant  reason  to  acknow- 
ledge her  as  my  Faithful  Mother.  — Editor. 


32  MEMOIRS    OP    NOAH    WORCESTER, 

Missionary  Society,  Mr.  Worcester  was  selected 
as  its  first  missionary  ;  and  in  that  character  trav- 
elled and  preached  [in  the  northern  towns  of  New 
Hampshire]  during  the  autumn  of  that  year,  and 
during  the  summer  of  1804,  and  perhaps  at  other 
times. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1806  he  met  with 
an  accident,  which  was  the  occasion  of  much  suffer- 
ing and  continued  infirmity.  This  was  a  partial 
rupture  of  the  muscles  from  the  tendons  of  the 
legs.  For  many  months  he  was  unable  to  walk  or 
stand.  The  great  change  thus  produced  in  his 
habits,  brought  on  the  dropsical  tendencies,  which 
did  not  leave  him  for  three  or  four  years.  He 
never  recovered  the  use  of  his  limbs  so  as  to  walk 
with  ease.  Prior  to  this  he  had  been  a  man  of 
uncommon  muscular  power.  He  was  noted  for  his 
capacity  of  labor  on  a  farm.  Very  few,  it  is  said, 
were  willing  to  compete  with  him.  This  vigor  of 
his  younger  days,  stands  in  melancholy  contrast 
with  the  feebleness  of  his  body  after  he  had  passed 
the  prime  of  life. 

The  time  was  now  drawing  near  when  he  was  to 
leave  his  home  and  the  people  to  whom  for  twenty- 
three  years  he  had  ministered.     It  was  but  a  small 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  33 

flock,  and  in  humble  circumstances.  Notwithstand- 
ing their  attachment  to  their  minister,  whose  faith- 
ful services  they  appreciated,  and  whom  they  had 
seen  rising  in  the  midst  of  them,  till  he  had  be- 
come one  of  the  most  widely  known  and  honored 
in  the  State,  they  yet  found  themselves  unequal  to 
his  adequate  support.  When,  therefore,  in  the  fall 
of  1809,  he  received  an  invitation  from  Salisbury, 
to  remove  thither  and  take  charge  for  a  season  of 
his  brother's  congregation,  who  was  disabled  by  ill 
health,  they  consented  to  the  dissolution  of  his 
connexion  with  the  Society.  His  connexion  with 
the  Church  was  however  retained,  in  the  hope  that 
he  would  return  to  them  again.  But  this  hope  was 
vain.  The  progress  of  his  studies  had  led  to 
changes  in  his  theological  views,  v/hich  were  already 
preparing  the  way  for  a  final  and  complete  separa- 
tion. His  people,  however,  notwithstanding  these 
changes,  were  willing  and  desirous  to  retain  him 
among  them  as  their  minister.  "  Though  my  change 
of  sentiments  relating  to  the  Trinity  was  prior  to 
my  removal  from  Thornton,  and  well  known  to  the 
people  of  my  charge,  yet  this  change  Avas  in  no 
degree  the  occasion  of  my  removal  from  that  place. 
It  occasioned  no  alienation  on   the  part  of  my  peo- 


34  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

pie.  I  lived  with  them  in  friendship  to  the  last.  I 
parted  from  them  in  friendship  ;  and  with  so  much 
hope  and  expectation  on  both  sides  that  I  should 
return  to  them  again,  that  the  Church  unanimously 
preferred  that  1  should  not  be  dismissed  from  them, 
although  I  had  resigned  my  civil  contract  with  the 
Town." 

By  consent  of  all  parties,  he  accordingly  re- 
moved to  Salisbury  in  February,  1810,  and  con- 
tinued there  as  the  assistant  or  substitute  of  his 
brother  for  about  three  years. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Publication  of  Bible  News  with  its  attendant  circumstances, 
He  was  invited  to  become  the  Editor  of  the  Christian 
Disciple. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  great  turning  point 
in  Mr.  Worcester's  life.  At  the  time  of  his  re- 
moval to  Salisbury  in  February,  1810,  he  was 
engaged  in  the  publication  of  a  book  which  an- 
nounced the  result  of  his  studies  and  thoughts  on 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  which  became  the 
occasion  of  his  separation  from  the  associates  and 
scenes  of  his  past  life.  This  was  no  hasty  or  ill 
considered  publication.  It  was  the  fruit  of  long, 
anxious,  and  deliberate  inquiry.  As  long  ago  as  the 
year  1796,  in  the  "  Theological  ^lagazine  "  for  Jan- 
uary and  February  of  that  year,  he  had  published  a 
series  of  questions,  "respecting  the  Personality  of  the 
Redeemer."  These  questions,  while  they  evinced 
a  mind  in  a  state   of  inquiry  and  asking  for  light, 


86  JIEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

yet  plainly  indicated  that  it  had  become  wholly 
alienated  from  the  common  doctrine  of  a  tri-personal 
deity.  From  this  time,  the  subject  had  been  a 
topic  of  frequent  conversation  between  Mr.  Wor- 
cester and  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  ;  to  whom, 
both  individually  and  at  meetings  of  associations, 
he  read  papers  expository  of  the  views  he  was 
inclined  to  adopt.  After  so  much  and  so  protracted 
study  and  discussion,  in  the  course  of  which  his 
opinions  went  through  considerable  modifications 
before  they  assumed  their  final  shape,  and  which 
occasioned  no  breach  of  fellowship  with  his  breth- 
ren of  the  clergy,  though  some  of  them  expressed 
great  concern,  —  his  mind  being  at  length  quite 
settled,  he  prepared  and  published  his  w^ork.  It 
was  entitled  "Bible  News;  or  Sacred  Truths 
relating  to  the  Living  God,  his  only  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit."  * 

*  This  is  the  title  of  the  second  edition  of  the  book;    but 
the  title  of  the  first  edition  read  thus  :  — 
BIBLE  NEWS 
of  the 
FATHER,  SON,  AND  HOLY  SPIRIT, 
in 

A    SERIES    OF    LETTERS. 

in  four  Parts. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  37 

It  happened,  as  perhaps  was  natural,  that  those 
who  were  wilhng  to  continue  their  accustomed 
fellowship  with  him  so  long  as  his  heretical  opinions 
were  confined  to  conv^ersation  and  private  discus- 
sion, felt  themselves  called  upon  to  withdraw  their 
countenance  when  he  appeared  as  their  public 
promulgator  and  defender.  This  seems  to  have 
been  wholly  unexpected  to  him,  and  was  severely 
felt  by  him  as  a  wound.  His  sensitive  mind  suffered 
keenly  from  the  symptoms  of  coldness  and  aliena- 
tion by  which  the  publication  was  followed.  This 
the  rather  surprised  and  grieved  him,  because  he  had 
received  the  highest  marks  of  confidence  from  his 
brethren  long  after  his  heresies  had  been  distinctly 
known  to  them.  "  If  at  any  time,"  he  said,  "  they 
had  cause  to  be  offended  on  account  of  my  senti- 
ments, they  had  it  many  years  ago."     It  was  eight 


1.  On  the  Unity  of  God.  , 

2.  On  the  Real  Divinity  and  Glory  of  Christ. 

3.  On  the  character  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

4.  An  examination  of  difficult  passages  of  Scripture. 

The  whole  addressed 

to  a  worthy  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
by  Noah  Worcester,  A.  M. 

Pastor  of  the  church  in  Thornton. 

4 


38  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

years  previous,  that,  with  an  express  understanding 
of  his  heterodox  tendency,  he  had  been  employed 
as  first  missionary  of  the  New  Hampshire  Mission- 
ary Society,  and  had  received  a  certificate  so 
strongly  recommendatory  that  he  "  doubted  whether 
it  were  consistent  with  becoming  modesty  to  show 
or  read  it,  unless  credentials  were  demanded  of 
him."  The  discomfort  which  this  occasioned  him 
was  great  and  lasting  ;  and  he  found  himself  imme- 
diately engaged  in  conflict,  not  only  with  his  former 
associates,  but  with  the  public.  The  Hopkinton 
Association,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  passed  a 
vote  *  condemnatory  of  his  book  the   following  Au- 

*This  vole  was  in  these  words  :  "  Voted,  that  the  doctrine 
contained  in  the  above  named  publications,  is,  in  our  opinion, 
a  departure  from  the  pure  faith  of  tlie  Church  of  Christ ; 
tends  to  strengthen  the  enemies,  and  thereby  greatly  to  injure 
the  cause  of  Zion." 

Mr.  Worcester  published,  "  A  respectful  Address  to  the 
Trinitarian  Clergy  relating  to  their  manner  of  treating  oppo- 
nents." 12mo.  pp.  50.  "  A  Parable  occasioned  by  a  late 
portentous  Phenomenon  ;  by  the  Pilgrim  Good-Intent."  pp. 
24.  "A  Stranger's  Apology  for  the  General  Associations." 
pp.  24.  Also,  several  articles  in  the  General  Repository  j 
viz.;  Vol.  i.  p.  73;  ii.  1  ;  iii.  6.  His  brother  Thomas  like- 
wise published  "  A  Defence  of  Truth  and  Character  against 
Ecclesiastical  Intolerance."     pp.  24. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  39 

gust  ;  and  in  November  was  published  ''  An  Address 
to  the  Churches  in  connexion  with  the  General 
Association  of  New  Hampshire,  on  the  subject  of 
the  Trinity." 


[Dr.  Ware  caused  the  following  extracts  to  be 
copied,  and  added  the  remarks,  but  did  not  decide 
where  they  should  be  inserted.  The  Editor  regards 
this  as  the  proper  place  for  them.] 


(C 


Such  was  my  confidence  in  the  correctness  of 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  that  for  a  considerable 
number  of  years,  after  difficulties  and  objections 
occurred,  I  employed  all  my  powers  to  obviate  the 
objections,  to  find  support  for  the  doctrine,  and  to 
invent  some  illustration  which  might  show  the  doc- 
trine to  be  consistent  with  reason.  Not  far  from 
the  time  that  I  was  approbated  for  the  ministry,  I 
wrote  something  by  way  of  illustration  which  I 
exhibited  to  my  friend  Mr.  Church.  I  supposed  it 
to  be  possible  with  God  to  form  a  being  with  three 
distinct  heads  and  minds  united  to  one  body.  This, 
I    imagined   might  be    an  apt  illustration   of  three 


40  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

persons  in  one  being  or  one  God.  With  ibis  view 
of  the  subject,  I  rested  pretty  quietly  for  several 
years.  But  on  a  more  careful  attention  to  the  lan- 
guage of  Christ  in  relation  to  the  Father  and  him- 
self, observing  how  constantly  he  represents  himself 
as  not  God,  but  one  sent  by  God  ;  dependent  on 
God,  obedient  to  God,  doing  the  will  of  God,  and 
not  his  own  will,  it  became  impossible  for  me  to 
reconcile  such  language  to  the  idea  that  he  himself 
was  the  supreme  Jehovah,  or  the  same  being  as  the 
Father. 

''  A  little  before  I  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
while  on  a  journey,  I  took  up  a  little  tract  written 
by  Mr.  Emlyn.  I  read  in  it  perhaps  an  hour.  I 
thought  he  reasoned  forcibly,  but  persuaded  myself 
he  did  not  satisfactorily  set  aside  the  argument  from 
the  words  of  Christ,  'I,  and  my  Father  are  one.' 
For  a  number  of  years  I  relied  more  on  that  text  to 
support  the  idea  that  Christ  is  God,  than  any  other 
in  the  Bible.  I  do  not  recollect  to  have  read  any 
thing  else  against  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  after 
that  time,  till  I  happened  to  see  the  life  of  Dr. 
Watts  ;  except  a  note  in  a  pamphlet,  which  con- 
tained forcible  remarks,  and  a  severe  censure  on 
the   '  damnatory    clauses  of  the   Athanasian  creed,' 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  41 

as  used  by  the  church  of  England.  That  note  I 
well  recollect  excited  in  my  mind  a  kind  of  horror 
which  occasioned  me  to  lay  the  pamphlet  aside,  and 
to  put  it  in  such  a  place  that  it  would  not  be  likely 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  others. 

"  I  think  it  was  about  the  year  1806  that  I  obtain- 
ed the  reading  of  Watts's  life  accompanied  by  extracts 
from  his  writings,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  on 
the  Son  and  the  Spirit  of  God.  Soon  after  this  I 
obtained  the  System  of  Divinity  written  by  Dr. 
Hopkins.  Of  each  of  these  Doctors  I  had  a  high 
opinion.  I  therefore  resolved  to  compare  their 
writings  as  they  related  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trin- 
ity. They  were  strongly  opposed  to  each  other  in 
their  views  of  the  Son,  and  the  Spirit.  After  ex- 
amining and  comparing,  I  found  myself  unable  to 
answer  the  arguments  of  Dr.  Watts,  but  those  of 
Dr.  Hopkins  I  could  answer  to  my  own  satisfaction. 
It  appeared  to  me  that  Dr.  Watts  fairly  proved 
that  the  Son  of  God  was  entirely  dependent,  that 
all  his  divinity  consisted  in  the  Father  dwelling 
in  him,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  not  a  dif- 
ferent person,  but  the  active   energy  of  the  Father. 

"On  becoming  acquainted  with  the  views  of  Dr. 
Watts,   I  found  it  possible  for  a  man  of  acknow- 
4* 


42  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

ledger!  piety  to  be  a  dissenter  from  the  contested 
doctrine.  I  had  therefore  less  fear  of  the  conse- 
quences of  a  thorough  examination.  If  Watts 
could  deny  the  independence  of  the  Son  of  God 
and  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  belief 
in  the  doctrine  of  three  equal  persons  in  the  one 
God  cannot  be  essential  to  piety  and  salvation. 
Such  was  my  inference  on  finding  so  good  a  man 
as  Watts  among  the  dissenters  from  the  doctrine. 
Prior  to  this  my  inquiries  were  very  far  from  being 
impartial  or  free.  For  I  was  not  only  biassed  by 
prepossessions  in  favor  of  the  doctrine,  but  fettered 
by  fears  that  inquiry  might  land  me  on  ground 
that  might  endanger  my  Christian  character,  and 
my  future  happiness.  Being  in  a  great  measure 
freed  from  these  fetters,  I  pursued  my  inquiries 
with  greater  freedom  and  more  satisfaction  to  my 
own  mind.  I  had,  however,  no  writings  to  aid  me 
in  ray  inquiries  written  by  any  dissenter  from  the 
doctrine,  except  what  I  found  in  the  Life  of  Watts, 
till  after  I  had  published  Bible  News. 

"  But  prior  to  this  I  had  found,  to  my  own  satis- 
faction, that  neither  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  nor 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  had  any  belief  in  the  doc- 
trine of  the   "  Three  one  God  ;  "  that  they   were 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  43 

all  Unitarian  instructors,  that  is,  that  they  all  rep- 
resented Jehovah  as  One  and  not  as  Three.     In  all 
my  inquiries   relating  to   the  Trinity,   prior  to  pub- 
lishing, I  had  no   conversation  or  correspondence 
with  any  dissenter  from  the  doctrine.     The  reitera- 
ted  reproaches  and  denunciations  against  all  minis- 
ters of  this  description,  had  so  prepossessed  my  own 
mind  against  them,   that  I  had  no  wish  to  consult 
them.     During  these  inquiries,  after  writins;  much, 
but   prior   to    publishing,    I   had  occasion  to  pass 
through   Boston,   on   my  way  from  Connecticut  to 
New  Hampshire.     I  indeed  stopped  in  the  town  to 
visit  others,  but  I  avoided  making  myself  known  to 
any  minister  of  the  town.    This  course  was  adopted 
from  an  unwillingness  to  have  any  intercourse  with 
Unitarian  ministers  while  engaged  in  such  an  inquiry. 
Such  unfortunate  prejudices  would  probably  have 
retained   their  hold   on   my  mind  longer  than  they 
did,  had   I  not   been    taught   by   experience,    that 
little    reliance  is   to  be   placed    on   representations 
which  party  passions  give  of  those   who   avow   a 
dissent  from  popular   doctrines.     This  lesson  I  was 
soon  taught,  after  my  own  dissent  from  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  had  been  published.     When  I  saw  a 
number  of  my  former  friends  and  brethren  in  the 


44  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

ministry  disposed  to  treat  me  in  an  unbrotherly 
manner,  and  to  adopt  measures  which  tended  di- 
rectly to  the  ruin  of  my  character  and  usefulness, 
without  any  cause  known  to  me,  except  the  avowed 
change  in  my  opinions,  it  was  perhaps  natural  for 
me  to  infer  that  many  of  the  reproaches  cast  on 
other  dissenters  from  the  doctrine,  originated  in  the 
same  unkind  and  misguided  zeal; — a  zeal  which 
violates  the  most  important  precepts  of  the  gospels 
in  support  of  a  doctrine  which  no  mortal  under- 
stands." 

"  You  will  naturally  expect  that  I  shall  give  some 
account  relating  to  the  change  in  my  opinions  on  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  In  the  book  entitled  '  Bible 
News,'  and  in  the  '  Respectful  Address  to  the 
Trinitarian  Clergy,'  I  gave  some  account  of  what 
had  been  the  operations  of  my  mind,  and  the  occa- 
sion of  the  change  which  had  occurred.  I  have 
therefore  the  less  to  say  on  that  subject  in  these 
letters. 

"  It  may  be  proper  here  to  remark  that  I  have  no 
recollection  of  knowing  that  my  integrity,  piety  or 
Christian  character  was  ever  called  in  question  from 
the  time  I  made  a  pubhc  profession  of  religion,  till 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  45 

after  I  published  my  dissent  from  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity.  Even  after  it  was  known  to  my 
brethren  in  the  ministry  that  I  had  dissented  from 
that  doctrine,  they  still  treated  me  as  a  brother 
till  after  my  first  book  on  that  subject  was  pub- 
hshed. 

"  After  the  New  Hampshire  Missionary  Society 
was  organized,  I  became  a  member,  and  was  ap- 
pointed as  their  first  missionary.  To  induce  me  to 
accept  that  appointment,  I  was  told  by  the  first 
trustee  that  it  was  the  wish  of  the  Board,  that  I 
should  go  at  that  time,  because,  in  their  view,  it 
was  very  desirable  that  their  first  missionary  should 
be  one  whose  character  and  talents  would  make  a 
favorable  impression  in  regard  to  the  society  and 
its  objects.  He  also  mentioned  that  it  was  thought 
my  ability  to  preach  without  notes  would  be  much 
in  favor  of  the  mission  in  the  region  to  which  they 
wished  me  to  go. 

"  When  I  met  the  Trustees  to  receive  my  instruc- 
tions and  recommendation,  another  of  the  Board 
informed  me,  privately,  that  their  regulations  re- 
quired that  I  should  be  examined.  But  he  apolo- 
gized for  their  pretending  to  examine  one  in  whom 
they  had  such  entire  confidence.     He  said,  however, 


46  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAIl    WORCESTER. 

that  it  was  necessary  to  conform  to  the  regulations, 
and  the  precedent  might  be  very  useful  on  future 
occasions,  as  they  might  not  in  all  instances  be  so 
satisfied  prior  to  examination  ;  but  if  I  consented 
to  be  examined,  others  would  not  object.  I  freely 
consented  to  the  proposed  examination.  I  think 
all  the  Trustees,  except  one,  were  aware  that  I  had 
then  adopted  Watts's  views  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity.  That  subject,  however,  was  soon  intro- 
duced, and  occasioned  some  discussion.  I  frankly 
avowed  my  belief^  and  told  them  if  this  was  any 
objection,  I  was  willing  to  relinquish  the  mission. 
After  all  that  passed  on  the  subject,  they  gave  me 
a  recommendation  as  ample  as  any  modest  man 
would  have  desired. 

"  While  I  was  writing  the  work  which  w^as  after- 
wards published,  a  considerable  part  of  it  was  read 
to  three  different  Associations  of  ministers.  Still 
I  had  no  evidence  that  any  individual  of  either  was 
at  all  disposed  to  withdraw  from  me  the  hand  of 
fellowship.  But  after  the  book  was  published,  I 
experienced  severe  trials  from  several  brethren, 
who  had  long  been  esteemed  by  me  as  cordial 
friends. 

"  How  far  I  was  honest  in  my  inquiries  must  be 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  47 

referred  to  the    searcher  of  hearts.      That  I  was 
unbiassed  while   pursuing  the  inquiry,  it  would  be 
folly  in  me  to  pretend.     For  all  prejudices  resulting 
from  education,  from  regard  to  worldly  interest,  and 
to  my  own  reputation,  were  thrown  into  the  scale  in 
favor  of  the  doctrine.     I  had  been  educated  in  the 
belief,  that  the  doctrine  was  true  and  essential,  and 
I  was   well  aware   that  my  friends   in  the  ministry 
were  disposed  to  doubt  the  piety  of  dissenters  from 
the  doctrine.     I  had  heard  so   much  of  the  heresy, 
infidelity,  and  irreligion  of  those  who  had  departed 
from  the   doctrine,  that  the  thought  of  becoming  of 
that   class    of  ministers  often   filled  my    mind  with 
dismay.     But  notwithstanding  all  these  prepossessing 
and  repulsive  circumstances  to  bias  my  mind,  such 
was  the  force  of  scripture  language,  and  particularly 
the  language   of  Christ   himself,  that    I    could    not 
resist  it ;  but  was   led  by  it  first  to  doubt  the  truth 
of  the  popular  doctrine,  and  finally  to  dissent  from 
it,  at  the  risk  of  my  character  and   worldly  pros- 
pects.    I  have  not,  however,  mentioned  these  facts 
as    any  proof  of  the    correctness    of  the    opinion 
which  I  formed  ;  but  I  think  that  Christian  candor 
might  admit  them    as  some  proof  of  my  sincerity, 
and  that  I  was  not  influenced  in  my  decision  by  self- 
ish considerations. 


48  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

"  I  am,  however,  aware  that  some  suggested  a 
a  suspicion  that  I  was  influenced  by  a  hope  that  I 
should  become  the  head  of  an  anti-trinitarian  sect  in 
this  country.  It  might  perhaps  be  well  for  such 
persons  to  examine  their  own  hearts,  to  ascertain 
whether  the  suspicion  arose  from  that  love  which 
'  hopeth  all  things,  thinketh  no  evil,  and  seeketh 
not  her  own.'  I  may  have  given  more  reason 
than  I  am  aware  of  for  others  to  suspect  that  I  have 
been  ambitious  to  become  the  demagogue  of  a 
party  ;  but  so  far  as  self-knowledge  extends  I  may 
say  with  truth  that  such  a  motive  had  no  place  in 
directing  ray  inquiries  or  my  decisions.  I  was  not 
so  perfectly  ignorant  of  the  state  of  things  in  our 
country  as  not  to  anticipate  painful  consequences  to 
myself,  should  my  inquiries  result  in  a  conviction 
that  the  popular  doctrine  was  untrue.  I  knew  too 
well  what  was  said  of  others,  to  expect  that  I  might 
renounce  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  and  still  escape 
reproach." 

What  Is  especially  interesting  and  instructive  in 
these  statements,  is  the  evidence  they  afford  of  a 
devout  and  inquisitive  mind,  in  the  solitude  of  its 
own  thoughts,  without  guidance,  teaching,  or  advice 
from  any  Master   in  Israel,  but  dependent  alone  on 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  49 

its  Bible  and  its  prayers,  — finding  its  way  to  inter- 
pretations of  revelation  widely  different  from  those 
usually  admitted  in  the  Church;  —  and  this  in  the 
midst  of  misgivings  and  alarms  ;  in  spite  of  preju- 
dices against  these  interpretations  so  inwrought  and 
violent  as  to  render  them  odious,  and  to  make  all 
their  advocates  objects  of  distrust  and  suspicion  ;  — 
in  spite  of  the  knowledge  that  to  avow  them,  was 
to  encounter  obloquy,  desertion,  loss  of  influence, 
and  probably  exile.  How  interesting  to  look  back 
to  that  lowly  retreat,  and  see  in  imagination  that 
fervent  conscientious  inquirer,  fighting  against  the 
opposition  of  his  own  mind,  the  sacred  associations 
of  the  past,  the  threatening  evils  of  the  future,  the 
fears  of  friends,  the  anathema  of  the  church,  — yet 
steadily,  resolutely  giving  heed  to  the  scripture 
alone,  and  following  where  it  leads  in  opposition  to 
all  the  jarring  voices  of  commentators  and  councils. 
The  controversy  in  his  own  mind  was  not  awakened 
from  abroad  ;  it  was  not  carried  on  by  help  of  the 
discussions  that  were  going  on  in  the  community  ; 
it  was  finished  with  himself  before  it  began  with  the 
country  ;  he  awakened  the  discussion,  not  the  dis- 
cussion him  ;  and  he  came  out  from  this  solitary 
process  —  unscathed  by  the  war  that  had  been 
5 


50         MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

going  on  within  —  to  give  the  world  a  new  proof 
that  it  is  possible  to  speak  the  truth  in  love  in 
spite  of  the  most  adverse  circumstances,  and  to 
retain  the  devotedness  and  sweetness  of  the  Chris- 
tian spirit  though  departing  from  the  orthodoxy  of 
the  Christian  faith. 

As  an  argument  for  the  correctness  of  the  unita- 
rian construction  of  Christian  doctrine,  I  would  not 
make  too  much  of  this,  or  any  similar  example  ;  — 
as  undoubtedly  has  been  sometimes  done  ;  —  for 
instances  very  nearly  if  not  quite  parallel  have 
occurred  in  the  passing  of  members  of  any  one 
community  of  Christians  to  any  other  ;  and  any 
church  might  be  proved  the  true  church,  and  any 
church  false,  if  such  reasoning  were  allowed.  The 
true  inference  to  be  drawn,  and  that  a  most  mighty 
and  delightful  one,  is,  that  the  essential  vitality  of 
Christianity  does  not  lie  in  certain  doctrinal  dogmas; 
but  that  every  faithful,  devout,  conscientious  inquir- 
er finds  it,  whatever  may  be  the  form  in  which  his 
notions  of  certain  dogmas  rest  The  great  Father 
seems  intentionally  to  show  his  children  how  worth- 
less in  his  eyes  are  their  notions  and  speculations  on 
all  those  inaccessible  subjects,  by  allowing  their  minds 
under  the  brightest  illumination,   and  after  the  most 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  51 

earnest,  laborious  investigation,  to  find  peace  in  the 
most  opposite  results.  What  a  significant  rebuke 
does  this  plain  fact  give  to  the  arrogance  of  sectari- 
anism ! 

It  was  with  the  profound  consciousness  of  truth 
like  this,  that  Mr.  Worcester  came  out  from  his 
anxiety,  his  studies,  his  controversies,  and  his  sor- 
rows, with  a  liberality  as  wide  as  Christendom,  and 
a  modesty  as  gentle  as  his  love  of  truth  was  strong, 
confident  but  not  arrogant,  and  persuaded  that 
Love,  the  Christian  spirit,  is  better  than  the  recep- 
tion of  doctrinal  truth,  his  life  became  hence- 
forth one  living  and  perpetual  plea  for  charity,  and 
one  uninterrupted  protestation  against  any  form  of  ill 
will,  oppression,  and  dogmatism. 

The  public  attention  was  thus  effectually  drawn 
to  the  subject.  In  Boston  especially,  and  its  vicin- 
ity, the  state  of  opinion  was  such  as  to  cause  this 
transaction  to  be  regarded  with  great  interest.  The 
progress  of  opinion,  which  had  there  been  long  silent 
and  unobserved,  was  now  coming  into  greater  activity 
and  manifesting  itself  in  outward  expressions.  There 
were  already  symptoms  of  an  approaching  contro- 
versy. The  appearance  at  this  moment  of  a  bold 
and  free-minded  advocate  of  liberty  and  truth,  burst- 


52  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

ing  away  by  solitary  study  and  the  unaided  action  of 
his  own  mind  from  the  old  prescriptive  theology, 
was  well  adapted  to  make  a  sensation.  Mr.  Wor- 
cester became  an  object  of  much  interest  and 
sympathy,  and  his  cause  was  made  identical  with 
the  great  movement  against  ecclesiastical  authority. 
A  new  journal  adapted  to  the  condition  of  the  times 
was  about  being  estabhshed.  In  looking  round  for 
some  one  to  take  the  editorial  charge  of  it,  who 
would  unite  talent  in  writing,  and  skill  in  reasoning, 
with  christian  gentleness  of  manner  and  a  cathohc 
largeness  of  spirit,  the  projectors  of  the  work  turned 
their  eyes  to  Mr.  Worcester,  and  summoned  him  from 
his  retirement.  He  was  personally  unknown  to  them 
and  they  to  him.  But  they  were  drawn  toward  him 
by  sympathy  with  his  admirable  spirit  of  freedom  and 
firmness  united  wath  liberality  and  devotion,  and 
could  not  doubt  that  it  was  he  to  whom  the  new 
enterprise  should  be  given.  In  the  letter  addressed 
to  him  in  opening  the  correspondence,  January, 
11,    1813.     They  said  ;  — 

"  It  has  long  been  the  opinion  of  many  friends 
of  Scriptural  truth,  that  we  need  a  periodical  pub- 
lication, which  shall  be  adapted  to  the  great  mass 
of  Christians,  and  the  object  of  which  shall  be  to 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  53 

increase  their  zeal  and  seriousness,  to  direct  their 
attention  to  the  Scriptures,  to  furnish  them  with 
that  degree  of  Bibhcal  criticism  which  they  are 
capable  of  receiving  and  applying,  to  illustrate 
obscure  and  perverted  passages,  and,  though  last 
not  least,  to  teach  them  their  Christian  rights,  to 
awaken  a  jealous  attachment  to  Christian  liberty,  to 
show  them  the  ground  of  Congregationalism,  and  to 
guard  them  against  every  enemy,  who  would  bring 
them  into  bondage.  Our  conviction  of  the  impor- 
tance of  this  work  has  been  strengthened  by  the 
appearance  of  a  publication  in  the  Panoplist  recom- 
mending the  immediate  erection  of  ecclesiastical 
tribunals.   *  *  * 

"  You  may  expect  aid  from  gentlemen  in  this 
town  and  vicinity.  With  the  sentiments  of  these 
gentlemen  you  are  generally  acquainted.  They  are 
not  precisely  agreed  as  to  the  person  or  dignity  of 
Christ,  nor  do  they  w^ish  that  the  work  should  be 
devoted  to  any  particular  view  of  that  subject. 
Whilst  they  are  willing  to  admit  the  arguments  of 
all  sects,  they  wish  chiefly  to  exhibit  those  relations 
and  offices  of  Christ  which  Christians  generally 
acknowledge,   and  to  promote   a  spirit  of  forbear* 


54  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

ance  and  charity,  among  those  who  differ  on  this 
and  Other  difficult  subjects.  As  to  the  pecuharities 
of  Calvinism,  they  are  opposed  to  them,  without 
censuring  those  who  embrace  them.  They  are 
opposed  to  that  system,  particularly  as  it  prostrates 
the  independence  of  the  mind,  as  it  teaches  men 
that  they  are  naturally  incapable  of  discerning  relig- 
ious truth,  as  it  thus  generates  a  timid  and  super- 
stitious dependence  on  those  who  profess  to  have 
been  brought  from  darkness  into  light,  as  it  so 
commonly  infuses  into  its  professors  a  censorious, 
uncharitable  spirit.  You  will  do  us  the  justice  to 
believe,  that  in  this  business  we  are  not  actuated  by 
the  spirit  of  partisans.  We  have  long  given  proof 
of  our  aversion  to  contention  by  bearing  patiently 
and  silently  misrepresentations  of  our  characters  and 
sentiments.  We  have  no  desire  to  diffuse  any  re- 
ligious pecuharities.  Our  great  desire  is  to  preserve 
our  fellow  Christians  from  the  systematic  and  un- 
wearied efforts  which  are  making  to  impose  on 
them  a  human  creed,  and  to  infuse  into  them  angry 
and  bitter  feelings  towards  those  who  differ  from 
them.  Our  great  desire  is,  to  direct  men  to  the 
word  of  God,   and  to   awaken  in   those  Christians 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  55 

who  receive  this  as  their  only  standard,  a  more 
devout,  serious,  earnest  and  affectionate  piety  than 
they  often  discover  " 

We  must  copy  here  at  length  Dr.  Worcester's 
account  of  the  transaction,  which  was  to  make  so 
entire  a  change  in  his  life. 

'^  At  the  very  time  my  brother  seemed  to  be 
regaining  his  health,  so  that  there  was  a  probability 
that  he  might  resume  his  labors,  I  received  an  invi- 
tation, as  you  well  know,  from  clergymen  whom  I 
had  never  seen,  and  with  whom  I  had  no  prior  cor- 
respondence, to  remove  to  the  vicinity  of  Boston, 
and  become  the  Editor  of  the  Christian  Disciple  — 
a  periodical  work  then  about  to  be  established.  I 
could  not  but  regard  in  this  occurrence,  the  hand 
of  a  merciful  God.  The  prejudices  of  many  of  the 
clergy  of  New  Hampshire  had  become  so  much 
excited  on  account  of  my  change  of  opinion,  that  I 
deemed  it  very  improbable  that  I  should  find  any  em- 
ployment in  that  State  as  a  preacher,  should  I  leave 
Salisbury.  Indeed  I  had  thought  it  probable  that  I 
should  be  obliged  to  leave  the  State  and  go  to  Canada 
for  employment.  The  invitation  therefore  to  become 
the  editor  of  the  Christian  Disciple  I  accepted  with 
feelings  of  gratitude   to  my  divine  Benefactor,  and 


56  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

to  the  four  strangers  *  who  thus  provided  for  me 
an  Asylum.  It  was  not,  however,  without  deep 
concern  that  I  accepted  the  invitation.  I  had 
serious  doubts  with  respect  to  my  quahfications  for 
the  work  proposed.  Not  only  so,  my  prejudices, 
which  had  arisen  from  clamor  and  reproach  against 
the  persons  who  gave  the  invitation,  were  such,  that 
I  had  strong  fears  that  they  would  not  be  found  by 
me  persons  in  whose  society  I  might  find  satisfac- 
tion. Hence,  prior  to  removing,  I  deemed  it  pru- 
dent to  visit  them  and  become  personally  acquainted 
with  them.  I  did  so,  and  found  them,  as  I  thought, 
very  different  characters  from  such  as  had  been 
described  to  me.  I  had  indeed  reason  to  suppose 
that  on  various  subjects  their  opinions  were  different 
from  mine.  Of  this  difference  they  were  not  igno- 
rant. But  they  appeared  to  me  not  only  men  of 
intelligence,  but  of  candor  and  piety — not  disposed 
to  make  our  differences  of  opinion  an  occasion  of 
ahenation. 

"  In  May,   1S13,    I   removed  with  my  family  to 
Brighton,  and   conducted  the   Christian  Disciple   to 

*Dr.  Channing,  Dr.  Lowell,  Dr.  Tuckerman,  and  Rev.  S. 
C.  Thacher. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  57 

the  close  of  1818.  I  then  relmquished  it  on  ac- 
count of  debihty.  I  never  regretted,  and  never 
thought  I  had  any  reason  to  regret  my  connexion 
with  the  four  clergymen  who  invited  me  to  this 
vicinity.  Several  years  before  I  gave  up  the  work 
a  fifth  gentleman  became  associated  as  one  of  the 
proprietors,  whose  benevolence  to  me  will,  I  hope, 
be  rewarded  by  God.*  All  my  associates  were 
to  me  both  friends  in  need  and  friends  indeed  ;  and 
I  cannot  but  regard  them  as  the  friends  of  God,  and 
of  the  best  interests  of  mankind." 


*This  passage  relates  to  the  Rev.  Francis  Parkman,  D.  D. 

■  Editor. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Removal  to  Brighton,  Mass.  Labors  as  Editor  of  the  Chris- 
tian Disciple.  His  preparation  for  the  works  for  which 
he  is  most  distinguished;  his  Solemn  Review  of  the  Cus- 
tom of  War,  and  the  Friend  of  Peace.  Character  of 
these  works. 

In  May,  1813,  as  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Worcester 
took  up  his  abode  at  Brighton.  No  change  could 
well  be  greater  than  that  which  now  took  place  in 
the  circumstances  of  his  being.  His  whole  position 
in  society,  his  public  and  his  private  relations,  were 
altered.  A  new  home,  and  a  wholly  new  circle  of 
associates,  friends,  and  pursuits  awaited  him.  His 
mind  being  now  settled  on  the  great  subject  which 
for  so  many  years  had  exercised  and  agitated  it  ; 
being  withdrawn  from  the  scenes  of  excitement  and 
controversy  which  had  grown  out  of  his  publication  ; 
he  was  free  to  engage  without  restraint  in  whatever 
other  subjects  of  truth  or  duty  should  present  them- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  59 

selves.     It  did  not  suit  the  character  of  his  mind  to 
be  without  some  subject  of  absorbing  interest ;  and 
he  soon   found   himself  taken  up  with  two  trains  of 
thought,  which  for  some  time  gave  direction  to  his 
life.     The  first  of  these  was  favored  by  his  duties 
as  editor  of  the  Christian  Disciple.     That  journal 
not  being   designed  for  doctrinal  and   controversial 
discussion,  nor  for  theological  learning,  but  for  the 
instruction  of  the  people  in  their  religious  rights  and 
the  promotion  of  spiritual  and  moral  improvement, 
he  gave  himself  freely  to  the  advocacy  of  the  great 
duty   of  Liberty  and   Charity ;    making  that   work 
distinguished  for  its  unqualified  devotedness   to  the 
individual  rights  of  opinion,    and  the   sacred  duty  of 
a  liberal  regard   to    them  in  other  men.      His  own 
experience  had  led  him  to  think   much  of  the  evils 
of  controversy,  and  of  the  christian   duties  of  for- 
bearance,  gentleness,    candor    and    charity    toward 
those  who  difler  in  religious  opinion.     Bigotry  and 
censoriousness  seemed   to  him  among  the  greatest 
crimes   of  the  christian  church.     Every  thing  that 
he  henceforth  wrote  bore   testimony    to   his    deep 
feeling  on  this   subject ;  and  till  his  waitings  and  his 
life  became  one  continual  plea  for  liberality  and  love. 
The  "  Disciple,"  as  it  came  forth  with  its  monthly 


60  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

burden  to  the  church,  might  remind  one  of  the  aged 
disciple  John,  who  is  said  from  sabbath  to  sabbath 
to  have  risen  before  the  congregation  to  repeat 
the  affectionate  exhortation,  "  Little  children,  love 
one  another." 

The  other  subject  was  not  unconnected  with 
this  :  that  of  War  and  Peace.  It  had  enlisted  his 
earnest  attention  before  leaving  New  Hampshire  ;  it 
soon  grew  to  be  the  chief  topic  of  his  life  ;  by 
which  he  was  to  earn  the  title  of  a  Benefactor  of 
Mankind,  and  be  remembered  and  honored  to  the 
latest  age. 

His  own  statement  we  copy  here  from  his  auto- 
biographical letters,  written  in  1823. 

"  When  a  child  I  was  delighted  with  military 
exercises  and  parade.  While  very  young  I  was 
chosen  captain  of  a  company  of  boys.  For  several 
years  prior  to  the  Revolution  there  was  considerable 
talk  of  a  war  between  Great  Britain  and  the  people 
of  this  country.  Before  this  I  had  heard  of  the 
Quaker  opinion,  and  this  was  perhaps  all  I  had 
ever  heard  against  war.  But  when  the  prospect  of 
a  war  w^ith  Britain  had  become  a  topic  of  conver- 
sation, I  had  opportunity  to  hear  the  Quaker  opinion 
not  only  expressed  but  vindicated  by  a  neighbor, 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  61 

who  was  educated  among  Quakers,  and  had  imbibed 
their  views  of  war.  He,  however,  was  a  Baptist 
preacher.  Though  I  hstened  to  his  arguments,  I 
was  Httle  influenced  by  them,  for  my  father  and  a 
rauhitude  of  others  were  on  the  other  side  of  the 
question.  So  little  was  I  influenced  by  arguments 
against  war,  that  on  the  next  evening  after  the  war 
commenced,  I  enlisted  voluntarily  as  a  soldier. 
During  the  two  campaigns  that  I  was  in  the  army,  I 
do  not  recollect  that  I  had  any  scruples  of  con- 
science in  regard  to  the  lawfulness  of  the  business  in 
which  I  was  engaged  ;  yet  I  was  not  pleased  with 
the  life  of  a  soldier. 

"  Before  the  close  of  the  war  I  was  married,  and 
settled  in  Plymouth,  N.  H.  Soon  after  this  the 
Rev.  E.  Estabrook  was  ordained  in  Thornton. 
He  was  known  as  a  minister  who  denied  the  law- 
fulness of  war.  In  a  short  time  after  his  settlement, 
I  had  a  wish  to  remove  to  Thornton,  but  I  had 
some  scruples  in  regard  to  sitting  under  the  ministry 
of  one,  who  in  regard  to  war  held  the  Quaker 
principle  to  be  correct.  But  as  he  was  deemed  a 
pious  man,  and  was  prudent  in  regard  to  urging  his 
views  of  war,  seldom  mentioning  them  in  his  dis- 
courses, I  concluded  to  become  one  of  his  parish- 
6 


62         MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

ioners.  Soon  after  I  removed  to  Thornton  I  was 
requested  to  serve  the  town  as  a  selectman.  The 
town  was  called  on  for  a  soldier  to  serve  during  the 
war  ;  and  my  office  required  me  to  hire  the  soldier. 
This  I  did,  without  any  scruple  as  to  the  lawfulness 
of  the  service.  This  was  near  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  it  was  perhaps  the  last  service  I  was 
called  to  perform  in  favor  of  the  Revolutionary 
struggle.  About  the  time  the  war  closed,  Mr. 
Estabrook  put  into  my  hands  a  book  to  read  in 
which  the  principles  of  war  were  examined  in  re- 
spect to  their  agreement  or  disagreement  with  the 
precepts  of  the  gospel.  I  have  forgotten  the  name 
of  the  author,  if  it  was  in  the  book.  The  work 
had  a  powerful  influence  on  my  mind,  and  though  I 
did  not  feel  convinced  that  defensive  war  was  un- 
lawful, my  views  and  feelings  on  the  subject  of  war 
became  greatly  changed,  even  in  regard  to  trainings 
and  every  thing  of  a  military  character.  I  could 
no  longer  take  pleasure  in  any  thing  of  a  military 
nature.  I  had  not,  however,  thoroughly  examined 
the  subject,  and  I  still  retained  the  idea  that  defen- 
sive war  and  preparations  for  war  were  neces- 
sary evils^  and  to  be  supported  as  means  for 
preventing  greater  evils.     I  did  not  then  understand 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  63 

that  all  wars  are  conducted  in  an  offensive  as  well 
defensive  manner,  nor  that  the  spirit  of  all  war  is 
repugnant  to  the  spirit  required  by  the  gospel,  and 
exemplified  by  the  Prince  of  Peace.  My  ideas  on 
the  subject  were  dark,  perplexed  and  confused. 
After  I  became  the  minister  of  Thornton,  I  was  reg- 
ularly requested  to  pray  with  the  military  company 
when  they  met  for  training.  This  duty  I  performed 
under  the  delusive  impression,  that  being  prepared 
for  war  was  the  surest  means  of  preventing  war. 
This  was  then  the  popular  doctrine,  in  which  I 
acquiesced.  But  in  praying  on  such  occasions  I 
ever  felt  deeply,  that  the  business  of  war  was  hor- 
rible, and  opposed  to  my  own  feelings  as  a  christian, 
and  to  the  spirit  which,  as  a  minister,  I  constantly 
inculcated.  I  used  to  pray  that  the  business  on 
which  we  met,  might  be  the  means  of  preventing 
the  necessity  of  our  ever  again  having  occasion  to 
resort  to  the  use  of  military  w^eapons.  I  had  another 
motive  for  attending  the  trainings.  My  people 
appeared  to  have  a  sincere  affection  for  me  ;  and  I 
had  a  hope  that  my  presence  and  my  prayers  might 
be  the  means  of  preventing  disorderly  and  vicious 
conduct.  But  long  before  I  left  Thornton,  I  be- 
came fully  convinced  that  the  military  trainings  and 


64  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER, 

reviews  were  not  merely  useless,  but  exceedingly 
pernicious  in  regard  to  the  morals  of  the  commu- 
nity ;  that  they  were  in  fact  means  of  danger,  and 
not  of  safety  to  the  country.  This  opinion  I  freely 
expressed  to  the  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  who  was 
also  a  member  of  the  State  legislature.  As  a  sub- 
stitute for  trainings  I  then  proposed  nearly  the  same 
plan  which  was  since  proposed  by  General  Calvin 
Jones  of  North  Carolina,  on  resigning  his  office  of 
Major  General  of  the  militia. 

"  The  war  of  1812,  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  was  the  occasion  of  perfecting  the 
revolution  in  my  mind  in  regard  to  the  lawfulness  of 
war.  I  was  residing  in  Salisbury  when  war  was  de- 
clared. I  had  been  for  several  months  very  attentive 
to  the  measures  which  were  pursued  to  exasperate  the 
minds  of  the  people,  and  prepare  them  for  the  horrid 
conflict.  I  was  indeed  well  satisfied  that  our  coun- 
try had  suffered  injuries  from  Great  Britain,  by  the 
impressment  of  our  seamen,  and  by  spoliations 
under  the  Orders  in  Council.  But  I  was  also  satis- 
fied that  these  evils  were  exaggerated  by  the  repre- 
sentations of  our  people  ;  and  that  the  impressment 
of  our  seamen  was  not  authorized  by  the  government 
of  Great  Britain.     I  regarded   the  war  as   having 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  65 

resulted  from  our  own  party  contests,  and  the  indul- 
gence of  vile  passions; — and,    on  the  whole,    as 
unnecessary  and  unjust.      Soon   after  the  war  com- 
menced,  I   preached  two   sermons  with  a  view  to 
lead  my  hearers  to  proper  reflections   on  the  dan- 
ger of  indulging  party  passions,    and  the  practice 
of  reviling.      In   these  I  gave  no   opinion  on  the 
justice  of  the  war.     The  discourses  were  published 
and  were  applauded   by  the  people   of  both  parties. 
On  the  day  appointed  by  Mr.  Madison  for  national 
fasting,  I  delivered  a  discourse  on  the  pacific  con- 
duct of  Abraham   and  Lot  to  avoid   hostihties   be- 
tween their  herdsmen.      The  President  had  called 
on  ministers  of  the  gospel  to   pray  for  the  success 
of    our    arms.       This     I    could    not    do  ;    and    I 
deemed  it  my   duty   to  assign   my  reasons   for  the 
neglect.     This   part  of  my   duty   I   endeavored   to 
perform  in  a  manner  both  impressive   and  inoffen- 
sive.    This    discourse    was   also   published,   but  it 
gave  offence  to  the  advocates  for  the  war.     Though 
I  could  not  pray   for  the  success   of  our   arms,    I 
could  pray  that  the  lives  of  the  soldiers  on    both 
sides  might  be  preserved,  and  such  were  my  pray- 
ers during  the  war. 

"  In  1813,  I  removed  from  Salisbury  to  Brighton. 
C* 


t>6  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

There  I  had  much  opportunity  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  baneful  influence  of  the  war  spirit,  and 
with  the  progress  of  the  war.  The  more  I  ob- 
served and  reflected,  the  more  I  was  shocked  with 
the  barbarity  of  war  and  its  demorahzing  influence, 
its  contrariety  to  Christianity,  and  every  benevolent 
feeling.  In  1814  my  mind  became  so  impressed 
with  the  subject,  that  I  resolved  to  maket  he 
inquiry  whether  the  custom  of  war  was  not  the  ef- 
fect of  popular  delusion.  When  I  began  to  write 
I  aimed  at  nothing  more  than  an  article  for  the 
Christian  Disciple,  of  which  I  was  then  the  Editor. 
But  as  T  wrote,  my  mind  became  more  and  more 
interested,  and  instead  of  a  short  article  for  a  peri- 
odical w^ork,  I  wrote  the  Solemn  Review  of  the 
Custom  of  War,  which  was  published  in  Decem- 
ber, I  think  the  very  w^eek  that  the  Treaty  of  Peace 
was  signed  at  Ghent. 

"  While  writing  that  part  I  became  thoroughly 
convinced  that  war  is  the  effect  of  delusion,  totally 
repugnant  to  the  Christian  religion,  and  wholly 
unnecessary  except  as  it  becomes  necessary  from 
delusion  and  the  basest  passions  of  human  nature; 
that  when  it  is  waged  for  a  redress  of  wrongs,  its 
tendency  is  to  multiply  wrongs  a  hundred  fold  ;  and 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  67 

that  in  principle,  the  best  we  can  make  of  it,  is 
doing  evil  that  good  may  come.  It  is  now  more 
than  eight  years  since  I  began  to  write  the  Solemn 
Review  ;  and  I  believe  I  may  say  with  truth,  that 
when  awake,  the  subject  of  war  has  not  been  ab- 
sent from  my  mind  an  hour  at  a  time  in  the  whole 
course  of  the  eight  years.  On  the  most  thorough 
examination  I  am  firmly  of  the  opinion,  that  there 
has  never  been  any  error  among  Christians  more 
grossly  anti-christian,  or  more  fatal  in  its  effects,  than 
those  which  are  the  support  of  war  ;  that  what  are 
called  preparations  for  war  are  the  natural  means  of 
producing  the  calamity,  —  and  that  the  popular  be- 
lief, that  being  prepared  for  war  is  the  means  for 
avoiding  it,  has  been  contradicted  by  the  experience 
of  more  than  a  thousand  years  among  the  nations  of 
Christendom.  In  asserting  my  present  views,  I  have 
this  consolation,  that  the  more  there  are  who  embrace 
them,  the  fewer  there  will  be  to  encourage  and  pro- 
mote the  horrid  practice,  and  the  more  there  will  be 
to  employ  their  influence  for  its  abolition  ;  and  that  if 
all  men  would  cordially  adopt  such  views,  war  would 
be  rendered  impossible. 

"  Though  I  frankly  express  my  own  views  of  war 
and  my   perfect  abhorrence  of  the  military  system 


68  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

of  national  rapine  and  murder,  as  perfectly  needless, 
unjust,  and  opposed   to  the   spirit  of  the  gospel,  I 
have  no  doubt  that  many   men,  better  than   myself 
have  been  of  a  different  opinion.     I  cannot,  howev- 
er, but  doubt  whether  they  would  or  could  have  long 
continued    of  the    opposite   opinion,  had    they   be- 
stowed half  as   much  attention   on   the  subject  as  I 
have  done,  or   as  they  have   probably  bestowed  on 
other  subjects   of  far  less   importance.      I  suspect 
that  no  one  thing   in  the   history  of  Christians   will 
cause  greater   astonishment  to  posterity  in  a  more 
enlightened   age  of  the   world,    than  the    fact,   that 
professed  ministers  of  the  Gospel  throughout  Christ- 
endom have  been   so  generally  advocates  and  abet- 
tors of  war  ;  and   that   while  Christians  of  different 
sects  have  been  alienated  from  each  other,  and  have 
spent  much  of  their  time  in   contending  about  unin- 
telligible and  unimportant  dogmas,  they  could  unite 
in  the  atrocious   work  of  shedding  human  blood  in 
the  political  contests   of  nations.     Private  or  indi- 
vidual murders  are  justly  esteemed  and  punished  as 
among  the   grossest  of  human  crimes  ;  yet  whole- 
sale  murder  for  the   settlement   of  trivial    national 
controversies    has    been    licensed,  sanctioned,    and 
even  commended  by  the  rulers  of  Christian  nations, 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  69 

and   applauded  by  the   ministers   of  the   Christian 
rehgion  of  almost  every  sect  in  Christendom  ! 

"Notwithstanding  all  my  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
peace,  and  the  perfect  conviction  of  mind  that  the 
war  spirit  and  all  the  forms  of  national  hostilities  are 
in  direct  opposition  to  the  precepts  and  the  spirit  of 
the  gospel,  1  have  never  felt  myself  authorized  to 
make  my  own  views  of  the  subject  a  test  of  the 
Christian  character,  or  to  call  in  question  the  piety 
of  my  fellow  Christians  who  have  been  advocates 
and  promoters  of  war.  But  I  can  say  with  the 
greatest  truth,  that  I  am  unacquainted  with  any 
errors  which  have  been  adopted  by  any  sect  of 
Christians,  which  appear  to  me  more  evidential  of  a 
depraved  heart  than  those  which  sanction  w^ar,  and 
dispose  men  to  glory  in  slaughtering  one  another. 
Should  we  call  to  mind  any  one  of  the  supposed 
essential  doctrines  of  any  sect  of  Christians  in  New 
England,  we  might  ask  with  confidence,  what  is  the 
evil  of  denying  or  disbelieving  that  doctrine,  when 
compared  with  the  evil  of  believing  that  it  is  con- 
sistent with  the  spirit  and  precepts  of  the  gospel  for 
Christians  of  different  nations  to  engage  in  war  — 
to  meet  in  the  field  of  battle  and  destroy  one  anoth- 
er,  by   hundreds,    by    thousands,    and  by  tens   of 


70  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

thousands  ?  If  a  man  of  apparently  good  character 
avows  a  behef  that  human  infants  are  not  by  nature 
totally  sinful,  there  are  a  multitude  of  churches  who 
would  refuse  to  admit  him  to  their  fellowship.  Yet 
another  man  who  believes  in  the  doctrine  of  total 
sinfulness  by  nature,  may  perhaps  be  admitted  to 
tlieir  communion,  with  his  hands  wreaking  with  the 
blood  of  many  brethren  whom  he  has  wantonly  slain 
in  the  games  of  war,  and  this  too  while  he  justifies 
those  fashionable  murders  !  " 

The  sermon  on  the  National  Fast  in  August, 
1812,  mentioned  in  the  passage  just  quoted,  is  a 
discourse  of  great  clearness  and  power  ;  a  worthy 
beginning  of  the  work  to  which  its  author  afterward 
devoted  so  large  a  portion  of  his  life.  It  is  partly 
occupied  in  showing  that  the  war  then  recently 
declared  was  without  sufficient  justification,  and  so 
far  might  be  thought  open  to  the  charge  of  having 
a  party  design.  But  it  was  written  in  any  but  a 
partizan  spirit  ;  with  great  solemnity  and  modera- 
tion ;  and  states  fundamental  principles  which  are 
independent  of  all  temporary  circumstances. 

The  publication  of  this  sermon  may  be  regarded 
as  the  first  act  in  that  powerful  operation  which  was 
henceforth  to  constitute  the  main  object  of  his  life. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  71 

Without  losing  his  interest  in  other  subjects,  he 
consecrated  himself  to  this.  After  being  for  a 
brief  season  diverted  from  it  by  the  care  of  the 
Christian  Disciple  and  other  unwonted  occupations 
in  a  new  abode,  he  in  1814  gave  vent  to  his  whole 
soul  in  that  remarkable  tract,  "  A  Solemn  Re- 
view OF  THE  Custom  of  War;"  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  efficient  pamphlets  of  any  peri- 
od. It  has  been  translated  into  many  languages, 
and  circulated  extensively  through  the  w^orld.  It  is 
one  of  the  chief  instruments  by  which  the  opinions 
of  society  have  been  affected  within  the  present 
century.  The  season  of  its  publication  was  favor- 
able ;  the  world  was  wearied  with  battles  and  longed 
for  rest.  It  found  a  response  in  the  heart  of  the 
community,  and  many  able  men  were  ready  to 
repeat  and  enforce  its  doctrines.  It  was  followed 
by  the  formation  of  The  Massachusetts  Peace 
Society  on  the  28th  of  December,  1815,  and  by 
the  publication  of  ''  The  Friend  of  Peace," 
which  began  in  1819,*  and  was  continued  in  quar- 
terly numbers  for  ten  years  ;  being  almost  entirely 


*  He  relinquished  the  Christian  Disciple  at  the    close    of 
1818. —  Editor. 


72  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

written  by  himself.  This  must  be  looked  upon  as 
a  very  remarkable  work.  One  is  surprised  at  the 
fertility  of  resources  and  the  ingenuity  of  illustra- 
tion by  which  he  was  able  for  so  long  a  time  to 
vary  his  expositions  of  a  subject  which  seems  to 
most  persons  easily  exhausted.  To  his  wakeful 
mind  every  thing  that  occurred  and  every  thing  that 
he  read  offered  him  materials,  he  appeared  to  see 
nothing  which  had  not  a  bearing  on  this  one  topic  ; 
and  his  book  became  a  boundless  repository  of 
curious,  entertaining,  striking  extracts  from  writers 
of  all  sorts  and  the  history  of  all  times,  displaying 
the  criminality  and  folly  of  war,  and  the  beauty  and 
efficacy  of  the  principles  of  peace.  He  threw  his 
reasonings  and  speculations  into  the  most  various 
forms  ;  dialogue,  epistle,  parable,  and  verse  ;  some- 
times perhaps  languid,  often  diffuse,  but  always 
glowing  with  the  truest  spirit  of  humanity  and  faith  ; 
never  extravagant,  never  uncharitable,  and  often 
enlivened  with  a  quaint  shrewdness  of  remark  and 
a  certain  gentle  humor  and  semi-sarcastic  satire, 
which  just  opened  upon  the  reader  like  the  quiet 
heat-lightning  of  a  summer  day's  twilight,  and  then 
disappeared.  If  to  some  persons  who  had  less 
enthusiasm  for  the   subject  than  himself,  he  seemed 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  73 

at  last  to  have  written  out,  it  is  what  might  have 
been  reasonably  anticipated  ;  but  it  does  not  cease 
to  be  a  matter  of  astonishment,  that  he  sustained 
himself  so  admirably  for  so  long  a  time,  and  created 
four  volumes  so  affluent  and  powerful  as  The 
Friend  of   Peace. 

It  is  to  his  services  in  this  cause  of  the  highest 
Philanthropy,  that  Dr.  Worcester  owes  his  chief 
distinction,  and  must  forever  lay  solid  claim  to  the 
reverence  and  gratitude  of  mankind.  His  inde- 
pendent and  true-hearted  pursuit  of  truth,  his  most 
humble  and  gentle  advocacy  of  it  in  catholic  writing 
and  holy  hving,  give  him  place  among  the  eminent 
disciples  of  Christ.  His  labors  for  peace  elevate 
him  to  a  rank  among  his  IMaster's  most  efficient 
co-workers,  and  the  substantial  Benefactors  of  his 
race.  Here  he  did  something  toward  a  palpable 
advancement  of  Christianity  and  Civilization.  He 
carried  the  world  perceptibly  forward.  He  opened 
a  new  era  in  its  history.  By  commencing  a  syste- 
matic enterprise  against  war,  he  set  in  motion  an 
agency  which  unites  itself  with  the  multitude  of 
other  agencies  now  carrying  forward  the  progress  of 
man,  and  which  are  so  knit  together  and  so  reci- 
procally strengthen  each  other,  that  they  make  sure 
7 


74  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

the  conquest  of  the  world.  What  other  Christians 
had  eloquently  plead  for,  but  hardly  dared  to  hope, 
he  has  made  practicable.  And  we  already  witness 
the  auspicious  result  of  his  efforts.  The  extensive 
change  which  has  taken  place  in  the  sentiments  of 
men  respecting  war  ;  the  disapprobation  expressed 
in  so  strong  terms  by  leading  statesmen,  and  the 
diminished  honor  paid  to  military  greatness  by  men 
of  letters  ;  the  readiness  with  which  opportunities 
of  battle  are  now  shunned,  when  formerly  they 
w^ould  have  been  sought  ;  and  in  which  mediation 
has  been  accepted  for  peace  sake,  where  nations 
would  once  have  rushed  to  blood  ;  the  universal 
tone  of  the  religious  press  and  the  pulpit,  so  frequent 
and  loud,  which  formerly  spoke  so  rarely,  and  so 
often  in  the  tone  of  the  common  world  ;  and  not 
least,  the  express  and  active  combination  of  Peace 
Societies,  speaking  every  where  through  Christ- 
endom by  their  agents  and  their  books  ;  all  these 
and  other  signs  which  display  the  coming  on  of  a 
new  day  for  man, — bear  witness  to  the  value  of 
his  labors,  and  attest  his  claim  to  be  crowned 
among  the  substantial  Benefactors  of  earth.  Other 
causes  have  operated  widely,  powerfully,  profound- 
ly ;  the  religious,  political,  commercial  condition  of 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  75 

men,  favor  the  progress  of  peace,  and  by  them 
Providence  is  leading  forward  the  great  consumma- 
tion. But  they  work  indirectly  and  blindly.  For 
the  permanent  and  indestructible  basis  of  any  great 
improvement,  there  is  always  needed  the  founda- 
tion of  some  great  principle,  well  understood  and 
intelligently  acted  upon.  The  world  can  be  changed 
only  by  a  change  of  its  ideas.  "  Opinion  is  queen  of 
the  world  ;  '^  and  he  does  most  for  peace,  who  does 
most  to  change  opinion  respecting  the  right  and 
innocence  of  war,  and  the  duty  of  peace.  Let 
other  influences  favor  the  movement  as  they  may, 
the  grand  decisive  influence  must  always  be  traced 
to  him  who  set  in  motion  that  direct  action  which* 
goes  at  once  to  the  bottom  of  the  subject,  and 
allies  the  highest  truth  and  sternest  motives  that 
govern  men,  in  sacred  and  uncompromising  hostility 
against  the  evil.  This  did  Dr.  Worcester.  He  crea- 
ted the  combination  ;  his  followers  are  already  le- 
gions, and  their  number  daily  increases.  The  change 
advances  rapidly.  And  in  that  blessed  day  which 
is  coming,  when  war  shall  no  longer  be  the  chief 
occupation  of  government,  and  the  immense  treas- 
ures and  splendid  talents  now  occupied  in  corrupt- 
ing shall  be  expended  in  blessing  mankind,  what  name 


76  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

will  be  repeated  with  heartier  gratitude,  than  that  of 
him  who  did  first  and  most  to  accelerate  the  happy- 
era  ;  what  higher  eulogy  will  be  found  than  the  fact 
which  he   wished  written   on"  his  tombstone,  "  He 

WROTE    THE    FrIEND    OF    PeACE." 


CHAPTER  V. 

Later  Inquiries  and  Publications  on  Redemption  and  Human 
Nature.  —  Note  by  the  Editor. 

In  the  year  1S2S,  on  completing  his  70th  year, 
Dr.  Worcester  felt  that  it  was  time  to  relieve  him- 
self of  some  of  his  burdensome  responsibilities,  and 
seek  more  of  that  repose  to  which  age  invites.  He 
accordingly  resigned  his  office  as  Secretary  of  the 
the  Peace  Society,  and  discontinued  the  publication 
of  the  Friend  of  Peace.  It  was  not  that  he  wished 
to  cease  from  occupation,  and  abandon  himself  to 
repose.  His  mind  was  still  active,  and  pursued  with 
eagerness  the  inquiries  in  which  he  was  interested. 
It  was  now  turned  with  engrossing  attention  to  the 
great  question  of  the  purpose  and  influences  of  the 
Saviour's  sufferings  ;  and  in  thinking  and  writing  on 
this  he  for  a  long  time  occupied  his  leisure  hours.  "It 
was  a  subject  on  which  I  had  failed,  up  to  that  time, 
of  obtaining  views   perfectly  satisfactory  to  my  own 


78         MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

mind.  By  former  inquiries,  I  had  indeed  been  led 
to  relinquish  a  considerable  part  of  the  Calvinistic 
theory  relating  to  that  subject  ;  still  I  was  much  in 
the  dark,  and  unable  to  answer  many  important 
questions  which  often  occurred  to  my  mind.  *  *  I 
began  to  write  on  the  subject  in  March,  1827.  In 
the  course  of  that  year,  I  obtained  such  satisfaction 
on  the  subject  as  I  never  before  possessed.  In 
1S2S,  I  revised  what  I  had  before  written,  and 
made  considerable  addition  to  the  quantity  of  man- 
uscripts on  various  questions.  In  the  autumn  of 
that  year,  my  mind  became  so  absorbed  in  these 
inquiries,  that  I  found  it  difhcult  to  write  for  the 
Friend  of  Peace,  a  work  which  for  twelve  years 
had  occupied  nearly  all  my  time,  and  for  which  I 
had  written  with  great  delight.  I  found  it  incon- 
venient to  have  my  attention  divided  between  two 
subjects  of  such  importance  ;  and  that  I  might,  for 
a  time,  bestow  my  whole  attention  on  the  subject  of 
the  Atonement,  was  one  reason  why  I  wished  to 
discontinue  the  Friend  of  Peace,  and  my  labors  for 
the  Peace  Society.  From  early  in  December  of 
the  last  year,  to  the  middle  of  August  in  this, 
[1829,]  my  time  was  incessantly  devoted  to  ques- 
tions relating  to   the  Atonement.  *  *  I  may    say 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  79 

with  truth,  that  the  employment  was  to  me  delight- 
ful ;  and  I  am  not  without  hope  that  my  labors  will 
be  found  useful  to  many  humble  Christians  of 
inquiring  minds.  For  I  have  not  a  doubt  that  many 
such  have  been  embarrassed  by  such  views  of  the 
subject  as  they  received  by  education." 

The  result  of  these  studies  was  given  to  the 
world  in  1829,  in  a  small  volume  under  the  tide  of 
"  The  Atoning  Sacrifice,  a  display  of  Love  not  of 
Wrath."  It  excited  a  good  deal  of  attention.  It 
shortly  passed  through  a  second  edition  here,  and 
has  been  republished  three  times  at  least  in  England. 
It  bears  evidence  of  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
composed.  Being  made  up  of  a  series  of  separate 
essays  and  independent  inquiries,  such  as  would 
form  successive  stages  of  a  minute  investigation, 
and  not  having  been,  after  the  investigation  was 
ended,  digested  into  one  orderly  treatise,  it  may  be 
thought  to  lack  the  apparent  concatenation  and 
progress  which  are  necessary  to  give  such  a  work 
its  whole  power.  But  as  a  collection  of  materials 
to  aid  an  anxious  inquirer,  especially  in  the  elucida- 
tion of  the  many  minor  questions  and  the  interpreta- 
tion of  texts,  the  book  is  of  inestimable  value  ;  as 
well   as    a    delightful   specimen    of  the  tenderness, 


80  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

solemnity,  and  devoutness  of  spirit  in  which  so 
momentous  a  subject  should  be  treated.  The  title 
of  the  work  discloses  its  aim  ;  —  which  was  not  to 
decide  which  of  the  almost  innumerable  schemes  of 
the  atonement  is  to  be  received  as  the  scriptural 
and  true  ;  but  to  demonstrate  that  none  can  be  true 
which  does  not  found  its  efficacy  in  the  Love  of 
God  ;  that  all  notions  of  a  vicarious  or  substituted 
punishment,  of  an  operation  on  the  Divine  mind 
whereby  it  was  rendered  placable  by  the  satisfaction 
of  blood,  are  anti-scriptural  ;  and  that  therefore  all 
doctrinal  expositions  which  favor  them  are  inadmis- 
sible. This  idea  prevailed  more  and  more  in  the 
author's  mind  as  he  advanced  in  years,  and  came 
to  possess  it  with  such  strength,  that  he  appears  to 
have  become  unable  to  contemplate  the  common 
doctrine,  without  shuddering,  or  to  speak  of  it  with- 
out involuntary  horror.  The  numerous  papers 
on  the  subject  which  he  left  behind  him  show  how 
long  and  how  anxiously  his  mind  dwelt  on  the  sub- 
ject. He  more  and  more  completely  and  habitually 
tried  all  religious  views  of  the  Divine  Character  and 
Administration  by  the  standard  of  the  Paternal 
Relation,  and  the  thought  of  a  vicarious  atonement 
became    more    and    more   insupportable.     His   in- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  81 

creasing  filial  piety  shrunk  from  it  with  growing 
abhorrence.  "Is  it  not  deeply  to  be  lamented, 
that  a  doctrine  has  been  long  popular  among 
Christians,  which  ascribes  to  God  a  disposition  and 
character  which  no  ruler  nor  parent  can  imitate  with- 
out becoming  odious  in  the  view  of  well-informed 
and  benevolent  men  ?  " 

After  the  pubHcation  of  this  work  on  the  Atone- 
ment, Dr.  Worcester  gave  his  time  to  the  prepar- 
ation of  a  small  book  on  "  The  Causes  and  I'^vils  of 
Contention  among  Christians  ;  "  a  subject  familiar 
to  his  thoughts  and  near  his  heart,  and  on  which  he 
had  in  various  forms  and  at  various  times  already 
written  much.  It  did  not  occupy  him  long,  and  was 
issued  from  the  press  in  1831.  He  thus  expressed 
his  feelings  on  the  occasion. 

"  May  19,  1S31.  The  last  signature  of  my  Let- 
ters to  Christians  on  the  Causes  and  Evils  of 
Contention  has  been  corrected,  and  the  work  will 
probably  be  published  in  a  few  days.  It  has  been 
my  aim  to  do  seme  good  if  possible,  to  correct 
some  injurious  opinions,  to  abate  the  heat  of  party 
passions,  and  to  promote  that  love  and  harmony 
among  Christians  of  different  opinions,  which  was 
the  object  of  our  Saviour's  prayer,  as  well  as  of  his 


82  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORESTER. 

New  Commandment.  The  want  of  this  love,  and 
the  indulgence  of  an  opposite  spirit  have,  in  my 
opinion,  been  the  principal  obstacles  to  the  progress 
of  Christianity.  How  the  Letters  will  be  received 
is  to  me  very  uncertain.  Such  are  the  prejudices 
of  different  sects  at  the  present  time,  as  to  give 
reason  to  fear  that  many  will  prejudge  what  I  have 
written,  and  refuse  to  read  the  book.  I  hope, 
however,  that  there  are  some  candid  people  of  the 
different  sects  who  will  not  only  read  but  approve, 
so  far  as  what  I  have  written  is  according  to  the 
scriptures."  Dr.  Worcester's  charitable  hopeful- 
ness was  always  strong. 

Pursuing  the  train  of  thought  which  had  so  long 
engaged  him,  he  now  turned  to  inquiries  relative 
to  the  origin  and  causes  of  human  sinfulness. 

"  Soon  after  I  had  published  on  the  atoning 
sacrifice,  my  mind  was  turned  to  that  of  human 
depravity  or  man's  liability  to  sin.  But  it  was  not 
without  some  fear  and  trembling  that  I  resolved  to 
make  a  more  thorough  examination  of  this  interest- 
ing subject.  It  was  hardly  probable  that  at  so  late 
a  period  of  my  life,  I  should  be  able  to  make  a 
very  thorough  examination  of  a  subject  so  difficult  ; 
and  I  felt  a  reluctance  to  leaving  anything  in  writing 
which  might  be  unsatisfactory  even  to  myself. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  83 

''  Yet  I  could  not  be   contented   with  such  views 
as  I  then  possessed   of  a  subject   so   interesting  to 
myself  and  to  all  our  race  ;  and  one   in  which  the 
character  of  God  is  so   deeply  involved.     No  view 
of  the  subject  had  then  been  presented  to  my  mind, 
which  did  not  in  some   way  or  other  seem  to   im- 
peach either  the   wisdom  or  the  benevolence  of  the 
Deity ;  at  length  I  found  myself  unable  to  vindicate 
the  wisdom  and  benevolence   of  God  on  any  theory 
which   I  had   examined.     I  had  no   doubt  that  his 
wisdom  and  benevolence  were  consistent  with  man's 
liability  to  sin,  and  with  the  universality  of  the  fact; 
but  hoio  they  were  so  I  was  unable  to  explain.      To 
obtain   a   satisfactory  explanation  was  the  object  of 
my  inquiry.     I  have   now  great  reason  to  acknow- 
ledge the  goodness  of  God   in  not  only  prolonging 
my  life  and  giving  me  health  to  pursue  the  inquiry, 
but  in  granting  me  such   light    on  the  subject    as 
afibrds  great  satisfaction  to  my  own  mind.     I  need 
not  here   repeat  the   circumstances   which  attended 
the  first  burst  of  light  into  my  mind,  as  they  are 
briefly  related  in  a   Preliminary  statement  of  Facts, 
or  the  First  Letter  to  Friends.     But  scarcely  any 
other  favor  of  Providence  to  me  has  been  contem- 
plated with  more  pleasure  and   gratitude,  than  that 


84  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

in  which  I  seemed  to  be  clearly  shown  that  man's 
liability  to  sin  has  resulted  not  from  the  displeasure 
but  the  benevolence  of  God.  In  no  part  of  my 
life  did  I  ever  enjoy  so  great  happiness  in  contem- 
plating the  character  of  God  as  it  is  displayed  in 
the  government  of  the  world,  and  his  conduct  to- 
wards mankind,  as  I  have  in  the  last  six  months.  I 
have  written  on  the  subject  with  great  pleasure,  and 
perhaps  greater  pleasure  than  I  had  previously 
written  upon  this  or  any  other  subject.  I  may  add, 
my  conscience  bears  me  witness  that  it  has  been  my 
aim  to  write  in  such  a  manner  as  will  exhibit  the 
character  of  God  to  my  fellow  men  in  a  just  and 
amiable  light,  corresponding  with  John's  declaration, 
'God  is  love.'" 

The  following  is  the  passage  above  referred  to 
from  the  "Preliminary  Statement." 

"  Though  prior  to  engaging  in  the  ministry  I  had 
discarded  the  doctrine  that  Adam's  posterity  '  sinned 
in  him  and  fell  with  him,'  and  also  the  doctrine  of 
imputation,  I  still  retained  the  Hopkinsian  idea 
of  an  '  established  connexion '  between  the  sin  of 
Adam  and  the  first  moral  exercises  of  his  posterity. 
My  views  at  that  period  were  very  similar  to  those 
more  recently   published   by  Dr.   Taylor   and   his 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  85 

New  Haven  associates.  Subsequent  inquiries,  how- 
ever, had  in  some  respects  modified  my  views  of 
the  consequences  of  Adam's  sin,  before  1  wrote 
the  work  on  the  Atoning  Sacrifice.  On  inquiry  I 
could  find  no  proof  of  the  supposed  ' '  estabhshed 
connexion/  But  the  universal  liability  of  mankind 
to  sin  was  too  obvious  to  be  questioned  ;  and  how 
to  account  for  this  but  by  the  displeasure  of  God, 
was  still  to  me  an  insurmountable  difficulty.  With 
this  difficulty  on  my  mind  I  commenced  a  series  of 
inquiries  relating  to  the  sources  of  human  depravity, 
and  the  importance  of  christian  education.  Month 
after  month  I  examined  the  scriptures,  and  wrote 
on  different  questions.  On  several  points  I  obtained 
much  satisfaction.  Still,  however,  the  question 
occurred,  '  How  could  it  be  consistent  with  divine 
goodness,  that  all  the  posterity  of  Adam  should  be 
subjected  to  such  a  state  of  liability  to  sin  as  is 
witnessed  in  every  quarter  of  the  world  ?  ' 

"With  this  question  I  was  embarrassed  till  early 
in  June,  1S30.  Then,  while  intensely  pursuing 
the  inquiry,  with  ardent  desires  for  light,  the  follow- 
ing questions  occurred  with  the  suddenness  of  light- 
ning :  '  Does  not  liability  to  sin  result  from  the 
kindness  of  God  —  tiie  numerous  favors  which  he 
8 


86  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

bestows  upon  us,  and  not  from  his  displeasure? 
And  on  due  inquiry  will  not  this  be  found  to  be  the 
fact,  as  the  Atoning  Sacrifice  was  found  to  be  a 
'  display  of  love,  not  of  wrath  ? ' 

"  These  questions  occurred  in  such  a  manner, 
and  with  what  appeared  to  me  such  a  divine  light, 
that  I  could  not  but  regard  them  as  the  suggestions 
of  the  Divine  Spirit,  the  Comforter  which  was 
promised  by  Christ  to  teacli  us  all  things.  I  had 
little  time  for  reflection  before  a  new,  spacious  and 
delightful  field  of  contemplation  and  inquiry  was 
opened  to  my  view,  which  I  have  endeavored  to 
portray  in  the  following  chapters.  Immediately  I 
took  my  pen  to  sketch  the  thoughts  which  had 
occurred,  that  nothing  might  be  lost  ;  and  I  wrote 
with  such  reedom  and  delight  as  I  had  seldom 
before  experienced.  I  seemed  to  myself  to  have 
entered  a  new  world  of  thought  and  reflection.  At 
every  advancing  step,  the  character  of  God,  like 
the  path  of  the  just,  seemed  to  shine  brighter  and 
brighter  ;  and  the  guilt  and  inexcusableness  of  sin 
was  more  and  more  manifest. 

"  My  reading  has  been  too  limited  for  me  to  say, 
that  other  writers  have  not  given  a  view  of  the 
subject  similar  to  the  one  which  may  be  seen  in  the 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  87 

following  pages.  But  if  they  have,  I  am  confident 
that  what  they  wrote  was  never  read  by  me.  Had 
such  views  been  presented  to  my  mind  forty  or 
even  ten  years  ago,  they  w^ould  have  saved  me  from 
much  perplexity  and  intense  study.  But  if  the 
views  obtained  are  the  truth,  they  are  worth  more 
than  all  the  expense  I  have  been  at  to  obtain  them. 
I  must,  however,  gratefully  acknowledge,  that  they 
seem  to  me  rather  as  special  favors  from  Heaven, 
than  as  the  fruits  of  my  own  researches.  Yet, 
when  discovered,  the  theory  appears  so  natural, 
the  solution  of  the  difficulty  so  plain,  that  I  cannot 
but  feel  amazed  that  it  did  not  occur  to  my  mind 
many  years  ago." 

This  work  was  published  in  1833,  in  a  large 
duodecimo  volume  of  more  than  three  hundred 
pages,  under  the  title  of  "Last  Thoughts  on  Im- 
portant Subjects:  In  three  Parts;  —  1.  Man's 
Liability  to  Sin  :  2.  Supplemental  Illustrations  : 
3.  Man's  Capacity  to  obey."  The  general  pur- 
pose and  character  of  the  book  are  evident  from 
his  own  language  quoted  above.  Growing  out  of 
his  thoughts  on  the  Atoning  Sacrifice,  it  is  pervaded 
by  the  same  fundamental  idea.  His  central  govern- 
ing position,   the  principle  from  which  all  his  rea- 


88  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

soning  proceeds  and  by  which  his  conclusions  are 
tested,  is  the  Love  of  God,  in  his  character  of 
Father,  By  the  analogy  of  that  beautiful  Relation 
he  tries  all  interpretations  of  doctrine,  and  holds 
that  nothing  can  stand  which  militates  against  the 
benignity,  tenderness  and  justice  of  a  Fatherly 
government.  Hence  the  tendency  to  sin  in  human 
nature  cannot  be  owing  to  the  blighting  influence  of 
Divine  displeasure,  entailing  corruption  on  the  race 
because  offended  with  the  progenitor  ;  but  it  results 
from  that  lavish  goodness  of  the  Creator,  which 
bestows  in  profusion  faculties  and  bounties,  which 
are  necessarily  liable  to  abuse  and  open  to  tempta- 
tion. It  is  a  proof  of  the  infinite  Love,  not  of  the 
Wrath  of  God.  This  view  is  set  forth  in  a  great 
variety  of  statement,  with  abundance  of  pertinent 
and  ingenious  illustration,  and  with  much  acuteness 
of  critical  and  logical  discussion.  So  that  the 
volume  is  not,  as  works  on  such  subjects  are  too 
apt  to  be,  a  dry  metaphysical  dissertation  ;  but  a 
collection  of  interesting  essays,  enlivened  with  illus- 
trations by  anecdote  and  parable,  instructive  with 
scriptural  interpretation,  and  an  earnest  vindication 
of  the  paternal  character  of  God,  and  the  benignity 
of  the  Divine  administration.      The  book  is  loose 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  89 

in  its  arrangement,  and  in  its  style  diffuse  ;  but  its 
contents  are  highly  attractive  and  valuable,  and 
indicate  a  singular  youthfulness  of  mind  in  so  old  a 
man. 

While  this  work  was  in  preparation  and  passing 
through  the  press,  the  mind  of  its  author  became 
busied  with  other  thoughts,  and  began  with  the 
interest  of  earlier  days  new  investigations  in  the 
regions  of  truth.  A  singular  and  admirable  exam- 
ple in  a  man  who  had  completed  his  threescore 
and  ten,  anxious  to  gain  yet  more  truth,  inquisitive 
for  further  light,  and  solicitous  to  change  his  views 
if  he  can  be  persuaded  of  error.  We  are  reminded 
of  the  words  of  Edwards,  which  stood  as  the  motto 
of  the  Theological  Magazine  in  w^hich  he  was 
accustomed  to  write  in  his  younger  days,  —  words, 
which  were  fit  to  be  inscribed  on  the  banner  under 
which  he  marched  so  long  as  he  remained  militant 
below;  —  "I  observe  that  old  men  seldom  have 
any  advantage  of  new  discoveries  ;  because  they 
are  beside  a  way  of  thinking  they  have  been  long 
used  to.  Resolved,  if. ever  I  live  to  years,  that  I 
will  be  impartial  to  hear  the  reasons  of  all  pretended 
discoveries,  and  receive  them,  if  rational,  how  long 
soever  I  have  been  used  to  another  way  of  think- 
8* 


90  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

ing."     Dr.  Worcester  was   ready  not  only  to  ''re- 
ceive "    discoveries,   but  to  go  forth  in   search    of 
them,  a  most  unusual  enterprise  for  a  septuagenarian. 
How  interesting  is  the  account  which  he  gives  of  the 
inquiries  to  which  he  was  now  directij-ig  his  thought  ! 
''January  28,    1831.      On  January  2d,    1829, 
a  new  query  occurred   to  my  mind  on  reading  the 
followins;  words  of  Paul  :  '  We  have  this  treasure 
in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power 
may  be   of  God,   and  not   of  us.'      (2  Cor.  iv.  7.) 
These  words  I  regarded  as  having  been  uttered  by 
Paul  in  relation   to  himself  and  the   other  apostles, 
who  had  been  endowed  with  supernatural  powers  to 
enable  them   to   propagate  and   establish  the  gospel 
among  both  Jews   and  Gentiles.     Excepting  Paul, 
all  the  apostles  appear   to   have  been  men  unlearned 
when  they  entered   the  school  of  Christ  and  came 
under    his    guidance.      They    were    men    who    had 
been  educated   for   fishermen,  mechanics,    or  publi- 
cans, and  not  for  any  learned  profession  ;  and  Paul 
himself   was    a    tent-maker,    though    he    had    been 
brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel.     Who  but  God 
and   his  Son   would  have  selected  such  unlearned 
men,  as  the  primary  and  principal   agents  for  estab- 
ishing  a  new  religion,    which  was   destined  to  make 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  91 

its  way  in  opposition  to  the  most  inveterate  preju- 
dices of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  to  be  the  means  of 
a  moral  reformation  of  the  world,  and  of  the  eternal 
salvation  of  innumerable  millions  of  our  race  !  Yet 
such  it  seems  was  the  plan,  and  the  selection  of 
agents  adopted  by  infinite  wisdom.  Why  so  ? 
'  That  the  excellency  of  the  power  might  be  of 
God  ; '  in  other  words,  that  it  might  be  obvi- 
ously a  work  of  God  and  not  of  human  contri- 
vance. 

"  While  pursuing  such  reflections,  in  view  of 
Paul's  words,  the  following  query  occurred  to  my 
mind.  Is  it  not  possible  that  I  have  been  under 
a  mistake  In  supposing  it  to  be  necessary  that  the 
Messiah  should  have  been  originally  a  person  of  a 
nature  and  dignity  superior  to  the  greatest  of  men 
and  of  angels  ?  Js  it  not  very  possible  that  Jesus 
was  selected  for  the  Messiah  on  the  same  principle 
that  he  selected  his  apostles  ?  '  that  the  excellency 
of  the  power  might  be  of  God  ^  ^  He  assured  his 
disciples  that  'he  could  do  nothing  of  himself;' 
that  '  the  Father  in  him  did  the  works.'  May  it  not 
then  be,  that  the  nature  of  the  Messiah's  dignity 
has  been  gi-ossly  misapprehended  by  Christians,  and 
as  really  so  as  the  nature  of  his  kingdom   was  mis- 


92         MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

apprehended  by  the  Jews  ?  Perhaps  I  have  been 
under  a  mistake  by  not  clearly  distinguishing  between 
natural  and  spiritual  dignity. 

"  Thoughts  and  inquiries  of  this  kind  I  then 
wrote  down,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  at  some  future 
day  examine  the  subject  more  thoroughly.  I  de- 
ferred them  to  a  future  day,  because  I  was  then 
engaged  in  writing  on  another  subject.  On  looking 
over  some  papers,  in  January  22,  1831,  I  found 
the  notes  that  I  previously  wrote,  and  was  much 
surprised  to  find  that  two  years  had  elapsed  since  I 
wrote  the  minutes  on  this  subject.  But  my  mind 
had  been  occupied  during  that  period  with  other 
subjects,  which  appeared  to  me  important.  How- 
ever, should  my  life  and  health  be  spared  for  a  few 
weeks,  I  think  it  will  be  my  duty  to  pursue  the 
inquiries  in  relation  to  the  nature  of  the  Messiah's 
dignity  and  kingdom.  I  am  now  at  a  loss  how  the 
inquiry  will  result  in  my  own  mind.  The  truth  I 
wish  to  know  ;  and  if  on  this  point  I  have  been 
ignorant,  or  have  entertained  incorrect  views,  I 
hope  God  will  smile  on  my  inquiries,  and  enable 
me  to  write  something  which  will  be  to  his  glory, 
the  good  of  my  fellow  Christians,  and  my  own 
spiritual  benefit. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  93 

"  May  19,  1831.  I  have  also  made  some  progress 
in  my  inquiries  relating  to  the  INIessiah's  kingdom, 
and  the  nature  of  spiritual  dignity.  Should  life 
and  health  be  prolonged,  I  hope  not  only  to  improve 
my  own  mind,  but  to  write  something  which  may 
be  useful  to  others.  I  have  become  convinced  that 
great  errors  still  prevail  in  regard  to  the  Kingdom 
of  Christ  ;  and  I  suspect  that  the  nature  of  His 
dignity  has  been  little  understood  by  myself  and  by 
Christians  in  general.  Perhaps  a  mistake  on  this 
point  will  account  for  the  lamentable  fact,  that 
many  who  profess  to  be  the  disciples  of  Christ,  are 
led  to  imagine  that  they  evince  love  to  him,  by 
bitter  revilings  against  those  who  dissent  from  their 
views  of  his  natural  dignity.  Whether  I  shall  live 
to  complete  anything  in  writing  on  this  subject 
'which  will  be  even  satisfactory  to  myself,  is  very 
questionable.  If  not,  I  hope  others  will  be  led  to 
pursue  the  subject  till  Christians  shall  be  brought  to 
feel,  that  they  can  never  obtain  spiritual  dignity  by 
their  contentions  about  the  natural  dignity  of  Christ, 
and  that  to  be  great  in  his  kingdom  they  must  be  of 
the  disposition  of  Him  who  '  made  himself  of  no 
reputation,'  '  came  not  to  be  served  but  to  serve, 
and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many.'     The  due 


94  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    AYOKCESTER. 

prevalence  of  such  a  temper  would  soon  put  an 
end  to  the  present  quarrels  between  different  sects, 
and  Christians  would  be  known  by  their  love  one  to 
another." 

In  the  course  of  his  inquiries  on  this  subject,  Dr. 
Worcester  wrote  many  chapters,  and  made  some 
progress  toward  the  completion  of  a  work  of  some 
magnitude.  He  did  not  finish  it  ;  and  does  not 
appear  to  have  arrived  at  views  absolutely  decisive 
to  his  own  mind.  But  as  the  course  of  thought,  so 
far  as  he  pursued  it,  was  unusually  interesting  in 
itself  as  well  as  to  him,  and  lay  in  singular  harmony 
with  his  most  favorite,  most  deeply  founded  and 
long  cherished  sentiments  and  feelings,  it  has  seemed 
due  to  him  to  publish  among  his  Remains  the  larger 
part  of  what  he  prepared. 

Note  by  the  Editor.  The  preceding  chap- 
ters were  written  by  Dr.  Ware  in  a  book  ;  and  I 
have  supposed  that  he  intended  to  copy  this  chapter 
and  the  remainder  of  the  work  into  the  same  book, 
making  alterations  and  additions.  But  I  do  not 
certainly  know  that  such  was  his  intention  ;  and  this 
chapter  seems  to  me  to  have  been  prepared  with 
care.     I  therefore  make  no  alterations,  except  such 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  95 

as  the  text  shows  that  he  wished  me  to  make.  If 
any  doubt  can  arise  whether  this  chapter  contains 
all  that  Dr.  Ware  intended,  it  must  be  excited  by 
his  last  paragraph.  Speaking  of  the  last  subject 
treated  of,  he  says,  ''  it  has  seemed  due  to  him  to 
publish  among  his  Remains  the  larger  part  of  what 
he  prepared."  But  Dr.  Ware  had  in  his  posses- 
sion, and  had  read,  the  manuscript  which  my  father 
wrote  on  this  subject.  He  was  at  full  liberty  to  do 
what  he  pleased  with  it ;  but  he  has  not  extracted 
anything  from  it,  nor  made  any  reference  as  if  he 
intended  to  have  any  part  of  it  printed.  What  he 
has  copied  is  from  the  autobiography.  He  probably 
thought,  as  Dr.  Channing  did,  that  the  other  man- 
uscript on  this  subject  w^as  not  in  a  suitable  state  for 
publication  ;  and  he  probably  considered  what  he 
did  copy,  as  presenting  a  fair  view  of  my  father's 
wavering  thoughts  on  this  subject.  To  this  I  fully 
accede  ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  has  given 
"  the  larger  part  "  of  what  my  father  wrote  on 
this  subject,  although  he  may  have  given  the  larger 
part  of  what  he  '' prepared.^^  It  is  possible  that 
Dr.  Ware  wrote  this  sentence  under  the  impression 
that  all  or  nearly  all  that  my  father  wrote  on  this 
subject  would  be  published  in  a  separate  volume. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Dr.  Worcester's  habits  in   writing  and  publishing.  —  His  pa- 
tience, candor,  and  conscientiousness. 

It  seems  minecessaiy,  after  the  history  contained 
in   the   preceding   chapters,   to  attempt   any  formal 
statement  or   digest  of  Dr.    Worcester's   rehgious 
opinions.       Enough    has    been  stated    for  informa- 
tion, and  nothing   is   wanted  for    authority.     What 
deserv^es  notice  more  perhaps   than  anything  else, 
is  his  great  conscientiousness   in  seeking  the  truth 
and    declaring    his    convictions,     his    openness    to 
further  light  on  all    subjects    of   inquiry,    and    the 
union  of  firmness  and  candor  with  which  he  held  all 
truth.     It  is   far  more   important  that  we  mark  and 
hold  up  to  view  these  high  traits  of  moral  character, 
than  that  we  seek  to  ascertain  what  were  the  intel- 
lectual views  through  whicli  his  mind  passed  and  in 
which  it  rested. 

His  conscientiousness  and   patience  in  the  search 
of  truth  was   a  prominent  trait.     He  deeply  felt  his 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER.  97 

responsibility,  and  acted  on  the  conviction  that  he 
was  bound  to  get  as  much  light  as  possible  and  fol- 
low it  without  scruple  wherever  it  should  lead.  In 
doing  this  he  was  eminently  cautious  to  guard  against 
self-deception  and  hasty  conclusions.  He  used  the 
greatest  deliberation  of  patient  inquiry,  turning  the 
subject  over  and  over,  that  he  might  be  sure  no  im- 
portant view  escaped  him,  and  that  through  over- 
sight or  precipitancy  he  might  not  delude  himself  or 
mislead  others.  In  this  he  was  a  model  for  the  imi- 
tation of  all  inquirers.  There  are  many  whose  rash 
and  positive  course  is  wholly  the  opposite  of  his. 
They  adopt  as  most  incontrovertible  the  view  which 
for  the  present  is  satisfactory  to  their  own  minds  ; 
they  hold  for  absolute  truth  whatever  now  shows 
itself  to  them  as  truth  ;  and  are  impatient  to  publish 
it  as  such  for  the  benefit  of  the  world.  They  es- 
teem it  a  duty  to  proclaim  it  without  delay.  Some 
men  of  eager  and  restless  minds  make  the  public 
the  confident  of  all  their  processes  of  thought ;  as 
they  go  on  from  one  speculation  to  another,  each 
seeming  to  them  for  the  time  the  great  truth,  they 
utter  it  as  such,  however  crude  and  undigested  ;  they 
thus  keep  all  within  their  influence  in  that  same  state 
of  unsettledness  in  which  they  are  themselves  living, 
9 


98  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER, 

and  not  a  few  they  fix  in  some  of  the  views  which 
they  themselves  shortly  reject  as  poisonous  errors. 
Dr.  Worcester  had  too  much  uprightness  as  well  as 
modesty  to  venture  on  so  mischievous  a  hazard.    He 
felt  the  responsibility  of  religious  speculation  to  be 
solemn  ;  he  did  not  count  himself  to  have  the  moral 
right  to  run  the  risk  of  misleading  other  minds  by 
the  publication  of  sentiments,   however  apparently 
true  to  his  own  mind,  which  had  not  been  long  dili- 
gently searched,  and  confirmed  by  the  most  deliberate 
and  extensive  inquiry.     Thus,  while  his  whole  fife 
was   a  course  of   study  and   progress,  he  was  no 
weathercock  or  chameleon.     He  mastered  his  sub- 
ject before  he  published.     For  more  than  twelve 
years  did  he  pursue  his  investigations  concerning  the 
trinity.     On  so  momentous  a  subject  he  dared  not 
assume  that  his  new  views  were  of  course  right,  and 
rush  out  to  hft  up  his   voice  in  the  highways  pro- 
claiming his  great  discovery.     He  waited  for  con- 
firmation.    He  continued  to   examine,    think,   talk, 
discuss  ;  and  only  after  long  contemplation  of  the 
subject  on  every  side,  so  as  to  escape  the  possibility 
of  having  overlooked  any  important   consideration, 
did  he  perform  his  great  duty  of  publishing  his  mind. 
So  in  regard  to  other  subjects.     His  views  on  the 
atonement  and  on  human  sinfulness  were  wrought 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  99 

out  with  the  same  dehberation  and  conscientious 
caution.  They  were  published  only  after  many 
years  of  calm,  continued  religious  thought.  It  is 
admirable  to  observe  how  the  patient  and  scrupulous 
old  man  goes  over  the  ground  again  and  again,  ten- 
derly watches  against  error,  and  waits  year  after 
year  before  he  divulges  views  which  fill  his  own 
heart  with  peace,  lest  by  any  self-delusion  he  should 
spread  erroneous  speculations  adapted  to  mislead. 

His  fairness  in  statement,  and  ingenuousness  in 
discussion,  are  equally  to  be  observed.  He  entered 
on  argument,  not  as  an  intellectual  enterprise,  or  a 
trial  of  logical  skill,  but  as  a  moral  duty,  in  per- 
forming which  he  was  subject  to  the  laws  of  honesty 
and  truth  rather  than  of  mere  logic  ;  and  he  would 
have  regarded  the  disingenuousness,  and  perversion  of 
an  opponent's  language,  and  misstatement  of  his 
meaning,  and  false  inferences,  and  other  artifices  of 
debate  which  often  disgrace  the  annals  of  theological 
controversy,  no  less  dishonorable,  dishonest  and 
criminal,  than  the  concealments  and  unfair  proceed- 
ings in  commercial  life,  which  are  branded  as  fraud 
and  punished  by  the  universal  reprobation  of  man. 
Perhaps  in  the  history  of  religious  discussions,  there  is 
no  example  of  one  who   more  uniformly,  conscien- 


100  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

tioLisly,  determinately  kept  in  view  this  great  respon- 
sibility, and  guarded  the  temper  of  debate  with  more 
scrupulous  anxiety.  It  formed  the  expression  and 
complexion,  as  it  were,  of  his  writings.  To  some 
it  even  seemed  to  be  carried  to  an  undue  extreme. 
But  all  the  world  had  been  wilfully  erring  on  this 
great  point.  It  seemed  to  him  a  practical  denial  of 
the  fundamental  law  of  the  Master  ;  and  he  felt  him- 
self called  on  to  devote  his  life  and  powers  to  efforts 
to  rescue  it  from  its  neglect,  and  restore  it  to  the 
honor  which  is  properly  its  due. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Expressions  of  the  state  of  Dr.  Worcester's  mind  at  different 
periods,  or  his  religious  experience Editor's  Note. 

In  this  chapter  it  is  proposed  to  collect  from  va- 
rious papers  some  of  the  few  expressions  which  Dr. 
Worcester  from  time  to  time  recorded,  of  the  state 
of  his  mind,  and  his  religious  experience.  They 
are  for  the  most  part  written  on  loose  pieces  of  pa- 
per, generally  brought  out  by  the  recurrence  of  some 
interesting  event,  or  the  arrival  of  some  era.  He 
kept  no  regular  diary  of  his  religious  life,  for  rea- 
sons which  he  has  stated  in  his  autobiographical  let- 
ters, and  which  it  seems  proper  to  insert  in  this 
place. 

"  There  was  a  portion  of  my  hfe,  after  I  entered 
on  the  ministry,  in  which  I  kept  a  journal  of  the 
exercises  of  my  mind,  and  various  occurrences  of 
Providence.  This  I  continued  to  do  till  I  became 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  the  practice  exposed  to 


102  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

temptation.  I  then  discontinued  the  practice  and 
destroyed  the  journals  I  had  kept.  I  had  read 
diaries  which  had  been  kept  by  others,  some  of 
which  were  very  satisfactory  and  entertaining,  in 
others  I  thought  I  discovered  in  the  writers  too 
great  a  desire  to  exalt  themselves.  I  could  not  but 
fear  that  I  might  be  guilty  of  a  similar  fault." 

1831.  "The  month  of  November  has  again  ar- 
rived. It  has  been  a  remarkable  month  in  the  his- 
tory of  my  life.  It  was  the  month  of  my  birth,  and 
that  of  two  of  my  brothers  and  one  of  my  sisters  ; 
the  month  of  my  first  marriage,  and  of  the  death  of 
my  first  wife  ;  of  the  death  of  my  oldest  daughter, 
and  of  the  birth  of  my  youngest." 

In  this  connection  may  properly  be  stated  a  few 
other  facts,  the  precise  date  of  which  is  uncertain, 
w^iich  help  to  show  the  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held,  and  to  mark  the  steps  by  which  he  came  for- 
ward into  life.  One  of  these  is,  the  effort  that  was 
made  by  a  person  of  influence  to  secure  for  him  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  court  for  the  county.  The 
failure  was  a  sad  disappointment  at  the  time,  as  it 
offered  to  him  a  safe  living  and  honorable  employ- 
ment, at  a  time  when  his  prospects  were  very  limited 
and  uncertain.     He  afterward  saw  reason  to  con- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  103 

gratulate  himself  on  the  disappointment.  "  Had  I 
then  obtained  the  office,"  he  said,  ''  I  should  proba- 
bly have  been  fixed  in  a  course  of  civil  or  political 
employments  for  life,  exposed  to  numerous  perils 
and  snares,  and  denied  the  pleasures  I  have  enjoyed 
as  a  student  of  divinity  and  a  teacher  of  religion. 
It  was  surely  well  for  me  that  God's  thoughts  were 
not  as  my  thoughts."  After  this  he  was  for  several 
years  sent  as  representative  to  the  General  Court,  and 
was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace.  A  few  years 
later,  while  settled  in  the  ministry,  an  endeavor  was 
made  to  persuade  him  to  stand  as  candidate  for  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  Congress  ;  but  to  this 
proposition  he  would  not  listen  for  a  moment.  He 
had  then  chosen  his  j)i'ofession,  and  no  other  em- 
ployment had  any  attractions  for  him." 

Brighton,  May  16,  1814. 

*'  Of  all  I  have  published  at  any  period  of  my  life, 
I  can  say  that  what  I  wrote  appeared  to  me  to  be 
true  at  the  time  of  writing  ;  but  I  have  always  beea 
liable  to  err  ;  nor  have  I  been  unwilhng,  as  I  have 
advanced  in  life,  to  relinquish  former  errors  as  fast 
as  they  were  discovered.  Some  things,  which  once 
appeared   to   me   correct,    now  appear   incorrect ; 


104  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

Other  things  which  once  appeared  very  important, 
appear  now  of  less  importance,  whether  correct  or 
not.  Some  of  my  earher  writings  I  have  not  ex- 
amined for  many  years,  and  they  doubtless  contain 
something  which  I  should  now  view  as  incorrect,  or 
unimportant.  In  many  instances,  I  should  now 
change  the  mode  of  representation,  and  some  things 
I  should  suppress." 

March  26,  1815. 

"  Since  I  have  been  in  my  present  situation,  I 
have  enjoyed  much  comfort,  and  I  hope  I  have 
done  some  good.  But  why  I  was  ever  thought  of 
as  an  Editor  for  a  periodical  work,  I  cannot  tell. 
God  knows,  and  he  had  some  good  end  in  view. 
If  I  may  have  been  the  instrument  of  exciting 
attention  to  the  spirit  of  the  christian  religion,  and 
of  showing  the  evil  and  danger  of  those  things 
which  are  inconsistent  with  the  christian  temper, 
or  injurious  to  the  souls  of  men  and  the  peace  of 
the  church,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  rejoice." 

Nov.  24,  1815. " 

"If  I  am  thankful  for  anything,    I   think  I    am 
thankful  that  I  was  not  called  out  of  the  world  in 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER.  105 

darkness  on  the  subject  of  war,  and  that  my  mind 
has  been  led  to  examine  the  subject  with  so  much 
care.  I  have  also  reason  to  bless  God  that  what 
I  have  published  on  this  subject  has  been  so  w^ell 
received  by  Christians  of  difierent  sects  ;  and  that 
there  is  so  much  reason  to  hope  that  the  tracts  will 
be  extensively  useful.  Had  as  much  clamor  been 
raised  against  these  writings,  as  against  some  others 
that  I  have  published,  it  would  have  been  very 
trying  to  me,  and  perhaps  I  should  not  have  borne 
the  trial  in  a  christian  manner.  I  think  if  I  were 
now  on  my  death  bed,  it  would  be  to  me  a  matter 
of  great  joy  that  I  was  not  called  prior  to  my 
writing  on  that  subject,  a  subject  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  nature,  the  success,  and  the  glory 
of  the  gospel ;  and  one  on  which  the  lives  and  the 
salvation  of  so  many  of  my  fellow  men  are  depend- 
ing. On  no  other  account  have  I  more  desire  to 
live  another  year,  than  that  I  may  pursue  my  inqui- 
ries relating  to  the  nature  of  Christianity  and  its 
blessed  tendency  to  reform  as  well  as  to  save  man- 
kind. How  great  delusions  I  may  yet  be  in,  I 
know  not ;  but  if  my  hfe  shall  be  spared,  I  hope  I 
shall  be  enabled  so  to  pursue  my  inquiries,  and  to 
correct   what   is   still    erroneous    in    my   views   of 


106  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

religion,  as  not  to  live  in  vain,  in  respect  to  myself 
or  my  fellow  men.  But  1  feel  a  pleasure  in  the 
thought,  that  however  soon  I  may  be  called,  what 
I  have  written  in  the  course  of  the  last  year  will 
not  die  with  me.  God  I  believe  will  raise  up 
others  to  pursue,  and  to  improve  the  subject  till  it 
shall  produce  a  powerful  effect  on  the  christian 
world.  My  mistakes  others  will  correct,  and  the 
hints  which  I  have  given  others  will  improve,  and 
the  light  will  shine  brighter  and  brighter  unto  the 
perfect  day.  Long  after  the  name  and  the  wri- 
tings of  Philo  Pacificus  shall  have  been  forgotten, 
thousands  of  posterity  may  be  enjoying  peace,  life, 
and  happinesSj  in  consequence  of  what  he  has 
written.  Not  only  so,  many  souls  may  be  saved 
from  the  bottomless  pit,  and  become  heirs  of  im- 
mortal bliss,  by  the  blessing  of  God  on  his  endea- 
vors for  the  good  of  mankind.  O  Lord  grant  that 
it  may  be  so." 

April  20, 1817. 

"  It  is  now  nearly  four  years  since  I  came  to  this 
place,  as  editor  of  the  Christian  Disciple.  In  the 
course  of  these  years  1  have  experienced  much 
of  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  and  have  enjoyed  much 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER.  107 

comfort  in  my  attempts  to  correct  what  I  have 
beheved  to  be  erroneous  in  my  own  past  opinions 
and  in  the  opinions  of  others.  It  has  been  my 
aim  to  search  out,  and  to  pubhsh  the  truth.  Still, 
it  is  probable  that  future  inquiries  will  detect  some 
errors  in  what  I  have  honestly  written.  Perhaps 
also  it  will  appear  to  impartial  minds,  that  I  have 
not  been  always  prudent  in  my  manner  of  exposing 
what  I  believed  to  be  error.  I  claim  no  exemption 
from  human  infirmities,  although  my  conscience 
bears  me  witness  that  it  has  been  my  aim  to  pro- 
mote peace  on  earth  and  good  will  among  men  of 
all  descriptions.'' 

Nov.  25,  1817. 

"No  year  of  my  life  has  been  crowned  with  more 
mercies  than  the  last  ;  none  more  satisfactorily  spent 
in  respect  to  myself ;  and  I  hope  1  have  not  lived 
in  vain  as  to  the  good  of  others.  By  far  the  greater 
part  of  my  waking  hours  have  been  employed  on 
the  subject  of  war  and  peace  ;  and  the  more  I 
reflect  and  examine,  the  more  important  the  subject 
appears,  the  more  I  wonder  at  myself  and  others, 
that  it  w^as  so  long  neglected.  I  can  reflect  on  no 
part  of  my  life   or  my  labors   with  more  pleasure 


108  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

than  on  what  has  been  devoted  to  the  cause  of 
peace.  For  all  I  have  been  enabled  to  do  in  so 
good  a  cause,  I  am  indebted  to  Him  who  has  the 
residue  of  the  spirit  —  to  Him  be  all  the  praise. 
May  his  spirit  still  guide  me,  uphold  me,  and 
furnish  me  —  save  me  from  error,  preserve  me  from 
sin,  and  make  my  heart  and  my  life  conformable  to 
the  principles  of  justice,  love,  and  peace,  which 
his  word  inculcates,  and  which  I  have  endeavored 
to  disseminate  and  enforce.  Knowing  my  sun  is 
going  down,  that  my  time  is  short,  may  I  be  more 
and  more  active  to  have  my  work  done,  and  well 
done,  before  the  night  shall  come  which  will  put  an 
end  to  my  labors  on  earth.  May  I  daily  imbibe 
more  and  more  of  the  spirit  of  him  who  was  meek 
and  lowly  of  heart ;  in  this  way  may  I  seek  and 
find  rest  to  my  soul.  While  I  expose  the  wicked- 
ness of  war,  may  I  ever  feel  true  compassion  for 
those  who  are  still  bewildered  by  the  custom. 
What  scenes  are  before  me,  what  trials  await  me, 
are  known  to  him  who  cannot  err.  May  his  grace 
be  sufficient  for  me,  to  preserve  me  from  despon- 
dency and  distrustfulness,  and  from  the  indulgence 
of  any  passion,  or  the  adoption  of  any  measure,  by 
which  his  name  would  be  dishonored,  or  the  cause 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  109 

of  truth  and  peace  injured.  While  I  live  mindful 
that  my  great  change  is  at  hand,  may  I  ever  derive 
comfort  from  the  thought  that  God  will  live  when  I 
shall  be  laid  in  the  grave  ;  that  he  can  lay  aside  one 
instrument,  and  employ  another  to  carry  on  his 
work  ;  that  he  can  enable  those  who  shall  succeed 
me  to  correct  my  involuntary  errors,  and  supply  my 
defects  ;  and  that  he  can  even  promote  the  cause 
which  lies  nearest  my  heart,  by  removing  me  from 
the  world.  May  I  also  so  live  as  to  maintain  a  well 
grounded  hope,  that  after  I  have  done  all  in  my 
power  to  promote  peace  on  earth,  I  shall  go  to  a 
world  of  uninterrupted  peace,  where  my  ears  will 
be  no  more  assailed  with  the  din  of  arms  or  the 
clamor  of  men  who  thirst  for  blood  ;  where  Christ- 
ians of  all  denominations  will  cease  to  reproach 
each  other,  and  be  of  one  heart  and  one  soul  in 
abhorring  all  their  past  bickerings  and  strife,  and 
cordially  unite  in  giving  praise  to  a  sin-pardoning 
God,  and  to  the  Lamb  who  hath  loved  us  and 
redeemed  us  unto  God  by  his  blood. 

*' During  the  period  of  ten  years'  residence  in 
Brighton,  I  have   enjoyed  a  state  of  as   much  tran- 
quillity as  I  could  reasonably  have  anticipated  in  any 
part  of  the  world,  and  have   been  treated  with  more 
10 


110  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

attention  and  respect  than  I  have  deserved.  Very 
seldom  have  I  had  a  word  of  unpleasant  altercation 
with  any  human  being  ;  and  I  have  not,  that  I 
recollect,  received  more  than  one  letter  from  any 
one  quarter,  which  I  had  reason  to  suppose  was 
written  with  a  design  to  wound  my  feelings.  Nor 
have  I  been  aware  of  any  intended  insult  or  dis- 
respect from  the  clergy  of  any  denomination.  Those 
who  have  dissented  from  my  opinions  have  treated 
me  with  kindness,  so  far  as  I  have  had  intercourse 
with  them,  or  have  been  acquainted  with  their 
conduct  towards  me.  As  their  opinions  have  been 
different  from  mine,  their  objecting  to  my  views 
ought  not  to  be  regarded  as  unfriendly  or  disrespect- 
ful. I  have  also  objected  to  theirs,  without  indulg- 
ing towards  them  unkind  or  disrespectful  feelings." 

August  26,  1831. 

"  I  am  now  old,  on  the  borders  of  the  grave,  and 
it  is  with  me  the  day  of  adversity.  My  beloved 
wife  is  very  sick,  and  will  probably  live  but  a  few 
days.  In  this  situation  I  set  down  to  answer  some 
questions  which  others  may  propose.  As  it  is 
known  to  many  that  I  have  relinquished  all  hope  of 
being  saved  on  the  ground  of  a  vicarious  punish- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  Ill 

ment,  endured  for  me  by  Him  who  *  loved  us  and 
gave  himself  for  us,'  some  of  my  acquaintance  may 
wish  to  know  whether  I  have  given  up  all  hope  of 
salvation.  They  may  ask  on  what  ground  my  hope 
rests,  if  I  have  a  hope  ?  Whether  I  regard  my- 
self as  so  righteous  or  sinless  as  to  have  no  need  of 
pardoning  mercy  ?  and  if  not,  in  what  way  I  hope 
for  the  pardon  of  my  sins  ? 

"  In  reply  to  such  inquiries  I  am  permitted  to 
say  even  in  this  hour  of  trial  and  in  the  prospect  of 
death,  that  I  have  a  consoling  hope  of  pardon  and 
salvation.  It  is  not,  however,  as  a  sinless  being 
that  I  hope  to  be  saved.  But  to  me  it  is  a  '  true 
saying  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.'  I 
believe  that  '  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  sent 
his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  should  not  perish  but  have  everlasting  life  ; '  that 
'  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.'  Such  divine  declarations  I  regard  as  '  good 
tidings,'  for  I  feel  that  I  have  great  need  of  pardon 
for  my  numerous  offences.  My  hope  of  salvation 
is  based  on  that  ocean  of  the  Father's  love  which 
*  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for 
us  all,'  that  he  might  reveal  to  us   the  way  of  life, 


112 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 


be  the  Mediator  between  God  and  our  guilty  race, 
the  hght  of  the  world,  the  way,  the  truth  and  the 
life.  Believing  in  the  record  which  God  gave  of 
the  Son,  and  which  the  Son  gave  of  the  Father, 
as  disposed  to  pardon  all  who  repent  and  obey  the 
gospel,  I  hope  in  divine  mercy." 

Sept.  1831. 

"  There  was  a  portion  of  my  life,  after  I  entered 
on  the  ministry  in  which  I  kept  a  journal  of  the 
exercises  of  my  mind,  and  various  occurrences  of 
providence.  This  I  continued  to  do  till  I  became 
impressed  with  the  idea,  that  the  practice  exposed 
me  to  temptation  ;  I  then  discontinued  the  practice 
and  destroyed  the  journals  I  had  kept.  I  had  read 
diaries  which  had  been  kept  by  others,  some  of 
which  were  very  satisfactory  and  entertaining,  in 
others  I  thought  I  discovered  in  the  writers  too 
great  a  desire  to  exalt  themselves.  I  could  not  but 
fear  that  I  should  be  guilty  of  a  similar  fault.  Even 
now,  I  could  state  many  things  relating  to  the  exer- 
cises of  my  mind  in  relation  to  religion  while  I  was 
young  —  also  many  perilous  situations  in  which  I 
was  placed,  many  temptations  to  which  I  was  ex- 
posed, and  many  instances  of  the  preserving  mercy 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    AVORCESTER.  113 

of  God.  But  similar  things  have  probably  been 
common  to  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  others. 
I  can  recollect  enough  to  excite  in  myself  both 
wonder  and  gratitude,  as  well  as  contrition  ;  and 
these  perhaps  are  the  best  uses  which  can  be  made 
of  such  recollections." 

Nov.  5,  1831. 

''  Some  persons  will   doubtless  deem  it  an  objec- 
tion to  my  character,   that  so   many  of  my  writings 
have    been    on   controversial    subjects,    and    I    am 
aware  that  controversy  is  too  often   conducted  in  a 
manner  which  tends  to  sour  the  mind,  and  to   alien- 
ate the  affections  of  a  writer  from  those   who  dis- 
sent from  his  opinions.     Indeed  I  have  little  doubt, 
that  some  controversial  writers  have  indulged    to- 
wards each  other   as   bitter  and  unchristian  feelings, 
as  are  indulged  by  the  soldiers  of  different  coun- 
tries in   their   sanguinary  strife.      How   far   I  have 
been  guilty  of  indulging  such  feelings,  God  perhaps 
only  knows  ;  others  must  judge   for  themselves   in 
view  of  what  I   have  written.     Were  I  to   review 
all  I  have  written,  I  should  doubtless  find  a  number 
of  things  which  I  should  regret,  and  wish  they  had 
been  differently  expressed.     But  I   have  no  recol- 
10* 


114        MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

lection  of  having  written  anything  with  a  desire  to 
injure  the  character  of  any  brother  whose  opinions 
were  different  from  mine.  It  is  now  some  conso- 
lation to  me,  so  near  the  close  of  life,  and  in  the 
prospect  of  so  soon  finishing  my  course,  that  I 
have  ever  written  on  controversial  subjects  with  a 
deep  conviction  of  my  own  liability  to  err  —  even 
on  those  points  on  which  I  have  most  strongly 
expressed  my  dissent  from  others  ;  and  that  it  has 
been  my  aim  to  express  this  dissent  with  friendly 
feelings,  and  without  calhng  in  question  their  Christ- 
ian character,  on  account  of  their  opinions.  If  in 
any  instance  I  have  failed  of  so  doing,  it  has  wholly 
escaped  my  recollection.  Indeed  if  such  a  viola- 
tion of  the  laws  of  love  should  now  be  pointed  out 
to  me,  I  should  feel  bound  to  retract  it  as  unchrist- 
ian and  indefensible. 

"  What  am  I,  that  I  should  assume  the  preroga- 
tive of  God,  in  judging  the  hearts  of  my  fehow 
men,  my  Christian  brethren  !  What  am  I  that  I 
should  dare  to  censure  thousands  of  fellow  Christ- 
ians as  the  enemies  of  God,  because  they  happen 
to  differ  from  me  in  their  interpretations  of  some 
ambiguous  words  or  phrases,  which  are  used  in  the 
Bible  !   Most  of  these  dissenting  brethren  are  wholly 


MEMOIRS  OP  NOAH  WORCESTER.        115 

unknown  to  me  ;  many  of  them  have  probably  better 
talents  than  I  have,  and  on  many  accounts  have  had 
greater  advantages  than  myself,  and  surely  I  do  not 
know  that  they  have  been  less  careful  or  less  hum- 
ble in  their  inquiries  than  I  have  been  in  mine. 
What  then  is  this  self-sufficient  and  censorious 
spirit,  which  so  often  appears  in  sermons  and  in 
controversial  writings,  but  the  spirit  of  those  Phar- 
isees who  '  trusted  in  themselves  that  they  were 
righteous  and  despised  others.'  If  at  this  late 
period  of  my  life,  I  should  find  evidence  that  such 
is  the  spirit  with  which  my  controversial  writings  are 
imbued,  I  should  shudder  at  the  prospect  of  my 
final  reckoning." 

Jan.  26, 1833. 

"  Being  now  in  my  seventy-fourth  year,  1  must 
expect  soon  to  follow  my  wife  to  the  house  appoint- 
ed for  all  the  living.  But  am  I  prepared  for  the 
event }  What  are  the  best  evidences  of  prepara- 
tion for  death  ^  These  are  important  questions, 
worthy  of  daily  attention.  I  hope  they  will  not  be 
forgotten  by  me,  or  any  more  treated  with  neglect. 
How  long  God  may  see  fit  to  prolong  my  life  is 
to  me   unknown     nor   should  this   be   my  greatest 


116  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

concern.  I  should  indeed  be  willing  to  live  as  long 
as  it  shall  be  God's  pleasure  to  preserve  me  ;  but 
in  itself  considered,  I  do  not  think  it  is  desirable 
that  old  people  should  survive  their  usefulness.  I 
cannot  pray  that  it  may  be  so  with  myself." 

Note.  —  In  my  last  conversation  with  Dr.  Ware, 
I  stated  to  him  my  father's  views  concerning  the 
duration  of  the  misery  of  the  wicked,  and  concern- 
ing the  personality  of  God  ;  and  we  agreed  that  a 
statement  of  these  views  should  be  given  in  the 
Memoirs.  As  I  do  not  find  this  statement  in  what 
Dr.  Ware  has  written,  it  seems  to  be  my  duty  to 
supply  it. 

My  father  was  accustomed  to  teach  plainly  in  his 
sermons,  that  the  misery  of  the  wicked  would  be 
eternal.  After  his  views  on  many  subjects  became 
Unitarian,  I  was  interested  to  know  whether  he 
had  adopted  the  opinions  of  his  Unitarian  brethren 
in  favor  of  Restoration.  He  very  frankly  stated 
that  he  considered  the  Lord's  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion,—  c6fre  there  few  that  be  saved,  as  deciding 
that  those  who  died  in  sin  would  never  be  made 
happy.  The  text  referred  to  is  Luke  xiii.  23-30. 
Within  a  year  or  two  of  the  time  of  his  death,  I 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER.  117 

heard  him  repeat  these  verses  with  great  solemnity, 
and  he  then  added,  —  "  The  Lord  certainly  knows 
whether  all  icoulcl  be  saved ;  could  He  have  given 
this  answer  if  He  had  known  that  all  would  he 
saved  7  I  think  not :  I  think  He  teaches  plainly 
that  the  wicked,  or  those  who  die  in  sin,  will  never 
he  saved,''''  He  left  a  short  MS.  relating  to  this 
subject,  which  confirms  all  that  I  have  stated. 

About  the  year  1817,  after  I  had  embraced  the 
doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church,  I  had 
several  conversations  with  my  father  concerning  the 
popular  denial  that  God  should  be  regarded  as  in 
the  human  form,  or  in  any  form.  I  inquired 
whether  we  could  possibly  have  any  definite  and 
determinate  idea  of  a  being,  to  whom  we  ascribed 
no  form  ;  and  I  showed  that  the  Scriptures  repre- 
sent God  as  in  in  the  human  form.  I  told  him 
that  I  could  not  distinguish  between  atheism  and 
belief  in  a  God  without  form,  a  God  of  whom  we 
have  no  determinate  and  formal  idea,  an  impersonal 
God. 

The  conversations  on  this  subject  were  long  and 
numerous.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  my  father 
distinctly  understood  me  as  insisting  that  the  Di- 
vine Being  is   the  Divine  Man  ;  that  He  is  to 


118        MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

be  thought  of,  believed  in,  and  worshipped,  and 
as  having  all  the  organs  and  members  belonging  to 
this  form,  a  head,  body,  arms,  hands,  feet,  &c.,  as 
the  Scriptures  say.  I  denied  that  we  had  any  right 
to  substitute  human  philosophy  for  revelation  on  a 
subject  of  which  we  can  know  nothing  but  what  is 
revealed. 

In  the  first  conversation  my  father  hesitated,  and 
did  not  admit  that  I  was  right.  My  comparing  the 
common  faith  in  an  impersonal  God  with  atheism, 
startled  him,  and  he  reproved  me.  But  a  day  or 
two  after  this,  he  said  he  was  convinced  that  we 
must  believe  in  God  as  in  in  some  form,  in  order 
to  believe  in  Him  at  all  ;  and  that  we  ought  to 
think  of  Him  as  in  a  perfect  human  form. 
To  this  I  assented,  and  reminded  him  that  I  had 
not  conveyed  the  idea  that  we  should  think  of  God 
as  an  imperfect  man  like  ourselves,  but  as  the  One 
ONLY  DlVIiNE  MAN.  To  this  he  readily  agreed; 
and  in  many  subsequent  conversations  —  some  of 
them  in  his  last  years  —  he  said  that  those  who  did 
not  think  of  God  as  in  the  human  form,  could  have 
no  definite  faith  in  him. 

I  often  endeavored  to  convince  him  that  the 
Father  and  the  Son  should  not  be  thought  of  as  two 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  119 

persons  or  beings,  but  that  the  Son  of  God  is  God 
as  He  is  manifested  in  a  visible,  bodily  form,  and 
that  in  this  Divine  Humanity,  or  Son  of  God, 
dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of  the  Divinity  bodily.  I 
did  not,  however,  succeed  in  my  endeavors  ;  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  he  continued  to  the  time  of  his 
death  to  believe  that  God  and  the  Son  of  God  are 
two  persons  or  beings. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  mention  in  this  place, 
that  while  my  father  was  preparing  his  work  on  the 
Atoning  Sacrifice,  he  desired  me  to  show  him  what 
Swedenborg  wrote  on  the  subject.  He  read  a 
considerable  part  of  it,  and  seemed  greatly  pleased 
to  find  that  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalena 
represents  the  Divine  Being  as  perfectly  merciful. 
But  his  belief  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  not 
God,  but  a  person  distinct  from  God,  prevented  his 
adopting  the  doctrine  of  Redemption  as  taught  by 
Swedenborg. 

On  hearing  him  repeat  one  of  the  texts  which 
teach  that  we  are  icashed,  cleansed,  purified,  and 
redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  I  asked  him 
whether  this  blood  was  the  material  blood  which 
was  shed  on  the  cross.  In  the  course  of  this  con- 
versation I  desired  him  to  examine  as  far  as  he  could 


]20  MEMOIRS  OF  Noah  woucester. 

the  texts  which  tell  what  it  is  by  which  we  are 
washed^  redeemed,  and  sanctified.  Soon  after  I 
read  to  him  a  discourse,  in  which  I  had  endeavored 
to  prove  that  this  blood  means  the  divine  blood 
and  not  material  blood  ;  and  that  the  divine  blood, 

is     the     DIVINE    TRUTH THE     TRUTHS     OF     THE 

Sacred  Scripture. 

After  I  had  read  the  discourse,  he  said  very 
emphatically,  that  I  had  ''  demonstrated  the  truth 
of  my  main  proposition,  viz.,  that  the  Lord's  bloody 
by  which  we  are  said  to  be  cleansed,  redeemed,  &c., 
means  in  Scripture  the  divine  truth,  and  not  the 
material  blood  which  was  shed  on  the  cross." 

This  subject  was  referred  to  in  several  other 
conversations ;  and  he  gave  me  good  reason  to 
believe  that  he  rejoiced  in  this  spiritual  view  of  the 
Lord's  Blood. — Editor. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

[By  the  Editor.] 

Selections  from  Dr.  Ware's  manuscripts.     Extract  from  Dr. 
Channing's  Sermon.     Concluding  remarks  by  the  Editor. 

Among  the  papers  of  Dr.  Ware  which  have 
been  submitted  to  me,  I  find  a  few  things  which 
were  intended  for  this  chapter.  Nothing  is  written 
out,  but  only  sketches  of  his  thoughts  are  found, 
and  these  have  been  much  altered  to  render  them 
intelligible.  I  give  them  in  the  best  manner  that  I 
can  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  will  convey  the 
author's  meaning. 

REMARKS  OF  DR.  W^ARE. 

We  have  thus   followed  the  life  of  this  good  man 
from  its  beginning,  through  its   long  course  of  pro- 
gress  and   change,  to  its  closing  days   of  tranquil 
and  holy  rest.     The  picture  which  it  leaves  on  our 
11 


122  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

hearts,  Is  one  of  eminent  beauty.  Consistent,  up- 
right, conscientious,  and  beneficent,  it  displays  dis- 
tinctly the  traits  of  the  faithful  Christian  ;  and  its 
example  is  one  of  adherence  to  duty,  and  devotion 
to  truth.  Rarely  do  we  find  a  truer  instance  of 
fidelity  to  one's  sense  of  right,  independent  and 
unawed,  with  a  meeker  regard  for  the  liberty  and 
independence  of  others,  and  a  more  absolute  sub- 
mission to  the  authority  of  the  Divine  Word.  It 
was  the  union  of  these  which  made  his  Christian 
life,  and  as  character  is  always  constituted  in  part 
of  its  native  endowments,  and  original  temperament, 
so  here  also  his  original  temperament  formed  a 
groundwork  never  obliterated,  upon  which  the  su- 
perstructure of  his  ultimate  character  rested. 

In  such  occupations  the  few  remaining  years  of 
his  life  wore  tranquilly  away.  He  went  less  and 
less  abroad.  He  retreated  more  and  more  to  the 
contemplative  solitude  of  his  study.  His  infirmi- 
ties sensibly  increased  upon  him.  But  he  struggled 
on  ;  and  it  was  beautiful  to  witness  the  consistency 
with  which  he  patiently  waited,  serene,  tranquil, 
humble,  and  grateful,  the  arrival  of  his  summons  to 
depart. 

See  him  then  during  these  last  years  of  debility 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  123 

and  retirement.  He  lives  humbly  and  almost  alone; 
his  daughter  is  with  him  to  attend  and  cheer  him  ; 
infirmity  confines  him  much  to  the  house,  but  he 
goes  abroad  for  the  little  exercise  of  body  which  he 
can  bear,  —  chiefly  walking  in  the  neighboring 
grounds  of  Mr.  Parsons.  His  mode  of  hfe  in  the 
highest  degree  patriarchal,  frugal,  simple,  his  habits 
moderate,  his  wants  few  ;  and  for  the  Providence 
which  grants  a  supply  to  them,  and  the  generous 
friends  who  contributed  to  his  living,  he  never 
wants  the  luxury  of  a  heart  full  of  the  most  affect- 
ing gratitude.  Subject  to  severe  ill  turns,  liable  at 
any  hour  to  be  cut  off;  burdened  with  the  weariness 
of  perpetual  languor  ;  living  on  sufferance  from  day 
to  day  ;  he  sits  serene,  gentle,  cheerful,  more  than 
resigned,  thankful,  occupied  as  ever  with  thoughts 
of  others,  with  solicitude  for  the  w^elfare  of  man, 
and  cares  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  Nothing  es- 
capes his  attention  that  concerns  the  honor  of 
Divine  truth,  and  the  advancement  of  righteousness 
and  charity.  Shut  out  from  the  world,  his  spirit  is 
in  the  midst  of  it ;  and  his  Httle  study  witnesses  his 
labors  still  in  its  behalf.  War,  oppression,  error, 
intemperance,  slavery,  occupy  his  mind,  and  his 
pen ;  and  sheet  after  sheet,  testifies  to  the  lively 


124  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

sensibility  and  deep  concern  with  which  he  still 
pursues  the  great  and  favorite  interests  of  humanity. 
The  papers  consisting  of  remarks  on  the  several 
important  questions  pertaining  to  these  topics  as 
they  came  up  in  the  events  of  the  day,  and  the 
discussions  of  the  journals,  would  make  volumes. 
The  last  subject  on  which  he  was  writing,  was 
slavery.  He  wrote  and  re-wrote  with  care  a  con- 
siderable treatise  for  the  press,  not  many  months 
before  his  death  ;  and  the  various  articles  which 
lie  among  his  papers  show  that  he  had  looked  into 
all  the  questions  which  pertain  to  that  vexed  subject, 
with  the  perseverance  and  earnestness  which  be- 
longed to  his  younger  days.  Here,  as  always,  he 
was  found  steadfast  on  the  side  of  right  and  hu- 
manity. 

He  had  a  great  fondness  for  metrical  composition. 
When  he  sat  musing  by  himself,  and  his  feelings 
glowed  with  devotional  or  philanthropic  sentiment, 
they  spontaneously  found  vent  in  verse  ;  and  very 
numerous  are  the  hymns  of  praise  and  personal 
gratitude,  humanity  and  faith  which  remain  among 
his  papers,  the  memorials  of  his  passing  frames  of 
thought,  and  records  of  interesting  occurrences. 
From   the    readiness  with  which  he   assumed   this 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  125 

mode  of  expression,  the  enjoyment  which  it  evidently 
afforded  him,  and  the  care  with  which  many  of  these 
productions  have  been  copied  and  preserved,   it  is 
plain  that  he   not  a   little  valued  them.     But  the 
love  and  taste  for  poetry  do  not  always  imply  the 
power  to   excel   in  it.     Natuer  had  endowed   him 
with  the  poetical   temperament,   and  he  had  a  large 
aptitude   for   poetical  forms   of  thought.      This    is 
seen   every  where  throughout   his    writings    in   his 
tendency  to   figurative   illustration,   especially  in  his 
love   of  the   parable   and    allegory  ;    of  which    his 
works    furnish   many    beautiful    examples,   and    his 
verses    abound    in   them.     But  his    education  had 
unhappily  denied  him  that  culture  of  the  taste   and 
that    power  over    language,    which   are  essential  to 
successful  poetical  expression  ;  and  his  essays  are 
valuable  only  as  evidences  of  the  perpetual  greenness 
of  his    soul,    and   of  his  ever  ready  sensibility  to 
religious  truth,  and  all  the   goodness  there  is  in  life 
and  the  universe.     It  is   truly  affecting  to  observe 
the  records  of  daily  gratitude  and   faith,    morning 
and  evening  and  mid-day  noted  down  in  impromptu 
verse,  as   if  they  would   not  be   denied  their  song  ; 
and  how  passing  events  and  memorable  occasions, — 
a  birth  day,  a  new-year's   day,   and   other  anniver- 
11* 


126  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

saries,  —  called  out  the  ready  music  of  his  religious 
lyre.  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that,  of  formal 
hymns,  suited  to  be  sung  to  our  common  tunes, 
he  wrote  almost  none  ;  for  he  was  fond  of  music, 
and  was  a  good  singer.  In  early  and  middle  life 
he  paid  no  little  attention  to  that  science.  He  was 
a  teacher  of  music.  His  voice  was  particularly 
melodious,  and  he  entered  into  the  act  of  singing 
with  a  heartiness  of  evident  devotion,  that  was  truly 
impressive  to  behold.  His  appearance  in  his  pew 
at  Brighton,  "  with  his  silver  locks  flowing  to  his 
shoulders,  his  countenance  a  little  elevated,  and  full 
of  the  seriousness,  earnestness,  and  delight  which 
belong  to  this  act  of  worship,  while  his  voice  was 
readily  distinguished  through  the  whole  house,"  is 
described  as  having  been  eminently  striking  and 
beautiful. 

In  politics  he  always  took  a  strong  interest,  like 
the  other  prominent  men  of  his  time.  With  his 
father  and  brothers  he  belonged  to  the  Federal 
party,  and  retained  his  attachment  to  it,  but  without 
violence  of  party  spirit,  and  with  good  feelings 
towards  opponents.  He  was  familiar  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  government,  and  formed  very  definite 
opinions  concerning  all  its  leading  measures.  His 
reverence  for  Washington  was  unlimited. 


MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER.        127 

His  personal  appearance  was  striking.  He  pos- 
sessed a  large  frame,  and  at  some  periods  of  his 
life  weighed  two  hundred  and  thirty  pounds.  His 
bodily  presence  was  portly  and  dignified  ;  his  man- 
ners had  an  unusual  suavity,  and  he  wore  an  habitual 
air  of  bland  deference  toward  others  which  amount- 
ed to  an  almost  feminine  gentleness.  The  expres- 
sion of  benignity  and  meekness  in  his  countenance 
was  very  striking  to  strangers. 

The  peculiar  sweetness  of  his  manners  was  in 
part  a  family  trait.  The  same  was  conspicuous  in 
his  brothers  whom  I  have  seen.  It  probably  was 
increased  in  him  by  the  perpetual  discipline  he 
exercised  himself  to  maintain  over  a  temperament 
naturally  hasty  and  irritable,  and  which  he  thus 
kept  in  such  a  subjection,  that  few  who  knew  him  in 
his  riper  days  ever  suspected  that  his  beautiful 
meekness  was  the  attainment  of  a  sharp  struggle  and 
laborious  self-control.  "  There  was  a  sort  of 
majesty  in  his  meekness,"  says  one  ;  "  for  it  was 
a  laborious  acquisition,  and  sat  upon  him  like  a 
crown.  How  many  conflicts  did  it  not  indicate, 
and  how  many  victories  too  !  With  this  impression 
I  never  could  look  upon  him  but  with  wonder,  nor 
think  of  him  without  deriving  encouragement  and 
strength  for  the  ordeal  of  man's  spiritual  progress." 


128  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

The  portrait  by  Alexander,  painted  for  Dr. 
Tuckerman,  and  now  in  possession  of  one  of  his 
sons,  represents  him  with  great  truth.  The  best 
likeness,  in  the  judgment  of  some  of  his  family, 
"  as  showing  his  profile,  his  whole  personal  outline, 
and  most  frequent  attitude,"  is  found  in  the  sketch 
of  an  old  clergyman  reading  to  a  convict,  engraved 
for  the  Religious  Offering,  1840.  The  portrait  of 
Hobbes  in  Knights'  Portrait  Gallery  is  remarkably 
like  him. 


Among  Dr.  Ware's  papers  I  find  a  memorandum 
showing  that  he  intended  to  insert  a  part  of  Dr. 
Channing's  Discourse,  entitled  A  Tribute  to 
THE  Memory  of  Noah  Worcester,  D.  D.  I 
shall  here  copy  what  I  suppose  was  intended.  The 
reader  will  notice  a  few  errors  in  respect  to  Dr. 
Worcester's  publications.  For  statements  of  facts, 
the  preceding  pages  are  to  be  consulted. 


REMARKS  OP  DR.  CHANNING. 

Within  a  few  days,   a  great  and  good   man,    a 
singular  example  of  the   philanthropy  which  Jesus 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER.  129 

Christ  came   to  breathe  into   the   world,  has   been 
taken  away  ;  and   as  it  was  my  happiness  to  know 
him  more  intimately  than  most  among  us,  I  feel  as  if 
I  were  called  to  bear  a  testimony  to  his   rare  good- 
ness, and  to  hold  up  his  example  as  a  manifestation 
of  what   Christianity  can   accomplish  in   the  human 
mind.     I   refer  to  the  Rev.  Noah  Worcester,  who 
has   been  justly  called  the  AposUe  of  Peace,  who 
finished  his  course  at  Brighton  during  the  last  week. 
His  great  age,   for  he   was   almost  eighty,  and  the 
long,    and  entire  seclusion    to    which   debility   had 
compelled    him,   have    probably    made  his  name  a 
strange   one  to  some  who   hear  me.     In   truth,  it  is 
common  in  the  present  age,  for  eminent  men  to  be 
forgotten  during  their  lives,  if  their   lives  are  much 
prolonged.      Society    is    now    a    quick-shifting    pa- 
geant.    New  actors  hurry  the  old    ones  from    the 
stage.      The  former  stability  of  things  is  strikingly 
impaired.      The  authority  which  gathered  round  the 
aged,  has  declined.     The  young   seize   impatiently 
the   prizes   of  life.     The  hurried,  bustling,  tumult- 
uous, feverish  Present,  swallows  up  men's  thoughts, 
so  that  he  who   retires  from  active  pursuits,   is  as 
little  known  to  the   rising  generation  as  if  he  were 
dead.    It  is  not  wonderful  then,  that  Dr.  Worcester 


130  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

was  so  far  forgotten  by  his  contemporaries.  But 
the  future  will  redress  the  wrongs  of  the  present ; 
and  in  the  progress  of  civilization,  history  will 
guard  more  and  more  sacredly  the  memories  of 
men,  who  have  advanced  before  their  age  and  de- 
voted themselves  to  great,  but  neglected  interests  of 
humanity. 

Dr.  Worcester's  efforts  in  relation  to  war,  or  in 
the  cause  of  peace,  made  him  eminently  a  public 
man,  and  constitute  his  chief  claim  to  public  con- 
sideration ;  and  these  were  not  founded  on  acci- 
dental circumstances  or  foreign  influences,  but 
wholly  on  the  strong  and  peculiar  tendencies  of  his 
mind.  He  was  distinguished  above  all  whom  I 
have  known  by  his  comprehension  and  deep  feeling 
of  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  by  the  sympathy  with 
which  he  seized  on  the  character  of  Jesus  Christ 
as  a  manifestation  of  Perfect  Love,  by  the  honor 
in  which  he  held  the  mild,  humble,  forgiving,  disin- 
terested virtues  of  our  religion.  This  distinguish- 
ing trait  of  his  mind  was  embodied  and  brought  out 
in  his  whole  life  and  conduct.  He  especially 
expressed  it  in  his  labors  for  the  promotion  of  Uni- 
versal Peace  on  the  earth.  He  was  struck,  as  no 
other  man  within  my  acquaintance  has  been,  with 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  131 

the  monstrous  incongruity  between  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  and  the  spirit  of  Christian  communities, 
between  Christ's  teaching  of  peace,  mercy,  forgive- 
ness, and  the  wars  which  divide  and  desolate  the 
church  and  the  world.  Every  man  has  particular 
impressions  which  rule  over  and  give  a  hue  to  his 
mind.  Everyman  is  struck  by  some  evils  rather 
than  others.  The  excellent  individual  of  whom  I 
speak  was  shocked,  heart-smitten,  by  nothing  so 
much,  as  by  seeing,  that  man  hates  man,  that  man 
destroys  his  brother,  that  man  has  drenched  the 
earth  with  his  brother's  blood,  that  man  in  his 
insanity  has  crowned  the  murderer  of  his  race  with 
the  highest  honors  ;  and,  still  worse,  that  Christian 
hates  Christian,  that  church  wars  against  church, 
that  differences  of  forms  and  opinions  array  against 
each  other  those  whom  Christ  died  to  join  together 
in  closest  brotherhood,  and  that  Christian  zeal  is 
spent  in  building  up  sects,  rather  than  in  spreading 
the  spirit  of  Christ  and  enlarging  and  binding  to- 
gether the  universal  church.  The  great  evil  on 
which  his  mind  and  heart  fixed  was  War,  Discord, 
Intolerance,  the  substitution  of  force  for  Reason 
and  Love.  To  spread  peace  on  earth  became 
the  object  of  his  life.     Under  this  impulse  he  gave 


132  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

birth  and  impulse  to  Peace  Societies.  This  new 
movement  is  to  be  traced  to  him  above  all  other 
men,  and  his  name,  I  doubt  not,  will  be  handed 
down  to  future  time  with   increasing  veneration  as 

the  '  Friend  of  Peace,'  as  having  given  new  force 
to  the  principles  which  are  gradually  to  abate 
the  horrors,  and  ultimately  extinguish  the  spirit  of 
war. 

The  history  of  the  good  man,  as  far  as  I  have 
learned  it,  is  singularly  instructive  and  encouraging. 
He  was  self-taught,  self-formed.  He  was  born 
in  narrow  circumstances,  and  to  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  was  a  laborious  farmer,  not  only  deprived  of  a 
collegiate  education,  but  of  the  advantages  which 
may  be  enjoyed  in  a  more  prosperous  family.  An 
early  marriage  brought  on  him  the  cares  of  a  grow- 
ing family.  Still  he  found  or  rather  made  time  for 
sufficient  improvements  to  introduce  him  into  the 
ministry  before  his  thirtieth  year.  He  was  first 
settled  in  a  parish  too  poor  to  give  him  even  a 
scanty  support  :  and  he  was  compelled  to  take  a 
farm  on  which  he  toiled  by  day,  whilst  in  the 
evening  he  was  often  obliged  to  use  a  mechanical 
art  for  the  benefit  of  his  family.  He  made  their 
shoes,  an  occupation  of  which  Coleridge  has  some- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  133 

where  remarked,   that  it  has   been  followed   by  a 
greater   number   of  eminent   men   than    any    other 
trade.     By  the  side  of  his  work-bench   he  kept  ink 
and  paper,  that  he   might  WTite  down  the  interesting 
thoughts,  which  he  traced   out  or  which  rushed  on 
him  amidst  his  humble  labors.     I  take  pleasure  in 
stating    this    part  of   his    history.      The    prejudice 
against  manual  labor   as  inconsistent  with  personal 
dignity  is  one  of  the  most  irrational  and  pernicious, 
especially  in  a  free  country.     It  shows  how  little  we 
comprehend  the  spirit  of  our  institutions,  and  how 
deeply  we   are  tainted   with  the   narrow  maxims  of 
the  old  aristocracies  of  Europe.     Here  was  a  man, 
uniting  great  intellectual  improvement  with  refine- 
ment   of   manners,    who    had    been    trained    under 
unusual    severity   of   toil.     This    country    has    lost 
much  physical   and   moral  strength,   and   its  pros- 
perity is  at  this  moment  depressed,  by  the  common 
propensity  to   forsake    the   plough   for   less   manly 
pursuits,   which  are  thought,  however,  to  promise 
greater  dignity  as  well  as  ease. 

His  first  book  was   a  series  of  letters  to  a  Bap- 
tist minister,  and  in   this  he  gave  promise  of  the 
direction  which  the   eftbrts  of  his  life  were   to  as- 
sume.    The  great  object  of  these  letters,  was  not 
12 


134  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

to  settle  the  controversies  about  baptism,  about 
the  mode  of  administering  it  whether  by  immersion 
or  sprinkling,  or  about  the  proper  subjects  of  it 
whether  children  or  adults  alone.  His  aim  was,  to 
show  that  these  were  inferior  questions,  that  differ- 
ences about  these  ought  not  to  divide  Christians, 
that  the  '  close  communion '  as  it  is  called,  of  the 
Baptists,  was  inconsistent  with  the  liberal  spirit 
of  Christianity,  and  that  this  obstruction  to  Christ- 
ian unity  ought  to  be  removed. 

His  next  publication  was  what  brought  him  into 
notice,  and  gave  him  an  important  place  in  our 
theological  history.  It  was  a  publication  on  the 
Trinity,  and  what  is  worthy  of  remark,  it  preceded 
the  animated  controversy  on  that  point  which  a  few 
years  after  agitated  this  city  and  commonwealth. 
The  mind  of  Dr.  Worcester  was  turned  to  this 
topic  not  by  foreign  impulses  but  by  its  own  work- 
ings. He  had  been  brought  up  in  the  strictest  sect, 
that  is,  as  a  Calvinist.  His  first  doubts  as  to  the 
Trinity  arose  from  the  confusion,  the  perplexity, 
mto  which  his  mind  was  thrown  by  this  doctrine  in 
his  acts  of  devotion.  To  worship  three  persons  as 
one  and  the  same  God,  as  one  and  the  same  being, 
seemed  to  him   difficult  if  not  impossible.     He  ac- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  135 

cordingly  resolved  to  read  and   examine  the  Scrip- 
tures from  beginning   to   end,   for   the   purpose   of 
ascertaining  the  true   doctrine  respecting  God  and 
the  true  rank  of  Jesus  Ciirist.     The  views  at  which 
he  arrived  were   so  different  from  what  prevailed 
around  him,  and  some  of  them  so  peculiar,  that  he 
communicated  them  to  the  public  under  the  rather 
quaint  title  of  '  Bible  News  relating  to  the  Father, 
Son,   and   Holy   Spirit.'      His  great  aim    was    to 
prove,    that   the   Supreme  God  was  one    person, 
even  the  Father,  and  that  Jesus  Christ  was  not  the 
Supreme  God,  but  his  Son  in   a  strict  and  peculiar 
sense.      This    idea   of   '  the   pecuhar   and   natural 
sonship '   of  Christ,  by  which  he  meant  that  Jesus 
was  derived  from  the  very  substance  of  the  Father, 
had  taken  a  strong  hold  on  his  mind,  and  he  insisted 
on  it  with  as  much  confidence   as  was  consistent 
with  his  deep  sense  of  fallibility.     But,  as  might  be 
expected  in  so  wise  and   spiritual  a  man,  it  faded 
more  and  more  from  his  mind,  in  proportion  as  he 
became   acquainted  with  and  assimilated  to  the  true 
glory  of  his   Master.     In   one   of  his    unpublished 
manuscripts,   he  gives   an   account  of  his  change  of 
view    in  this   particular,    and,    without    disclaiming 
expressly  the  doctrine  which  had  formerly  seemed 


136        MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

SO  precious,  he  informs  us  that  it  had  lost  its  im- 
portance in  his  sight.  The  Moral,  Spiritual  dignity 
of  Christ,  had  risen  on  his  mind  in  such  splendor 
as  to  dim  his  old  idea  of  ^  natural  sonship.'  In  one 
place  he  affirms,  '  I  do  not  recollect  an  instance 
[in  the  scriptures]  in  which  Christ  is  spoken  of  as 
loved,  honored,  or  praised  on  any  other  ground 
than  his  Moral  dignity.'  This  moral  greatness  he 
declares  to  be  the  highest  with  which  Jesus  was 
clothed,  and  expresses  his  conviction,  '  that  the 
controversies  of  Christians  about  his  natural  dignity, 
had  tended  very  little  to  the  honor  of  their  Master, 
or  to  their  own  advantage.'  The  manuscript  to 
which  I  refer  was  written  after  his  seventieth  year, 
and  is  very  illustrative  of  his  character.  It  shows, 
that  his  love  of  truth  was  stronger  than  the  tenacity 
with  which  age  commonly  clings  to  old  ideas.  It 
shows  him  superior  to  the  theory,  which  more  than 
any  other  he  had  considered  his  own,  and  which 
had  been  the  fruit  of  very  laborious  study.  It 
shows  how  strongly  he  felt,  that  Progress  was  the 
law  and  end  of  his  being,  and  how  he  continued  to 
make  progress  to  the  last  hour.  The  work  called 
'  Bible  News  '  drew  much  attention,  and  converted 
not  a   few  to   the  doctrine  of  the  proper  unity  of 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  137 

God.     Its  calm,   benignant   spirit  had  no  small  in- 
fluence in  disarming  prejudice  and  unkindness.     He 
found,  however,  that  his  defection  from  his  original 
faith  had   exposed  him   to  much  suspicion  and  re- 
proach ;    and   he   became    at    length    so    painfully 
impressed  with  the  intolerance   which  his  work  had 
excited,    that   he    published  another   shorter  work 
called   'Letters  to   Trinitarians,'   a  work  breathing 
the  very  spirit  of  Jesus,  and  intended  to  teach,  that 
diversities  of  opinion,  on  subjects  the  most  mysteri- 
ous and  perplexing,   ought  not  to  sever  friends,  to 
dissolve   the   Christian  tie,  to  divide  the  church,  to 
fasten  on  the   dissenter  from  the  common  faith  the 
charge    of  heresy,    to    array   the    disciples    of  the 
Prince   of  Peace  in  hostile  bands.      These  works 
obtained  such  favor,  that  he  was  solicited  to  leave 
the  obscure  town  in   which  he  ministered,  and  to 
take  charge,  in  this  place,  of  a  periodical  called  at 
first  the  Christian  Disciple,   and   now  better  known 
as  the  Christian  Examiner.     At  that  time,  (about 
twenty-five  years  ago,)  I  first   saw  him.     Long  and 
severe  toil,  and  a  most  painful  disease,  had  left  their 
traces  on   his  once  athletic  frame ;  but  his   counte- 
nance beamed  with  a  benignity  which   at  once  at- 
tracted confidence  and  affection.     For  several  years 
12* 


138  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAII    WORCESTER. 

he  consulted  me  habitually  in  the  conduct  of  the 
work  which  he  edited.  I  recollect  with  admiration 
the  gentleness,  humility,  and  sweetness  of  temper, 
with  which  he  endured  freedoms,  corrections,  re- 
trenchments, some  of  which  I  feel  now  to  have 
been  unwarranted,  and  which  no  other  man  would 
so  kindly  have  borne.  This  work  was  commenced 
very  much  for  doctrinal  discussions  ;  but  his  spirit 
could  not  brook  such  limitations,  and  he  used  its 
pages  more  and  more  for  the  dissemination  of  his 
principles  of  philanthropy  and  peace.  At  length 
he  gave  these  principles  to  the  world,  in  a  form 
which  did  much  to  decide  his  future  career.  He 
published  a  pamphlet  called  '  A  Solemn  Review  of 
the  Custom  of  War.'  It  bore  no  name,  and 
appeared  without  recommendation,  but  it  immedi- 
ately seized  on  attention.  It  was  read  by  multitudes 
in  this  country,  then  published  in  England,  and 
translated,  as  I  have  heard,  into  several  languages 
of  Europe.  Such  was  the  impression  made  by 
this  work,  that  a  new  association,  called  the  Peace 
Society  of  Massachusetts,  was  instituted  in  this 
place.  I  well  recollect  the  day  of  its  formation  in 
yonder  house,  then  the  parsonage  of  this  parish, 
and  if  there  was  a   happy  man  that  day  on  earth,  it 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORESTER.  139 

was  the  founder  of  this  institution.  This  society 
gave  birth  to  all  the  kindred  ones  in  this  country, 
and  its  influence  was  felt  abroad.  Dr.  Worcester 
assumed  the  charge  of  its  periodical,  and  devoted 
himself  for  years  to  this  cause,  with  unabating  faith 
and  zeal  ;  and  it  may  be  doubted,  whether  any 
man,  who  ever  lived,  contributed  more  than  he,  to 
spread  just  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  War,  and 
to  hasten  the  era  of  universal  peace.  He  began 
his  efforts  in  the  darkest  day,  when  the  whole  civil- 
ized world  was  shaken  by  conflict,  and  threatened 
with  military  despotism.  He  lived  to  see  more 
than  twenty  years  of  general  peace,  and  to  see 
through  these  years,  a  multiplication  of  national 
ties,  an  extension  of  commercial  communications,  an 
establishment  of  new  connections  between  Christ- 
ians and  learned  men  through  the  world,  and  a 
growing  reciprocity  of  friendly  and  beneficent  influ- 
ence among  different  states,  all  giving  aid  to  the 
principles  of  peace,  and  encouraging  hopes  which 
a  century  ago  would  have  been  deemed  insane. 

The  abolition  of  war,  to  which  this  good  man 
devoted  himself,  is  no  longer  to  be  set  down  as  a 
creation  of  fancy,  a  dream  of  enthusiastic  philan- 
thropy.    War  rests  on  opinion,  and  opinion  is  more 


140       MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER. 

and  more  withdrawing  its  support.  War  rests  on 
contempt  of  human  nature,  on  the  long,  mournful 
habit  of  regarding  the  mass  of  human  beings  as 
machines,  or  as  animals  having  no  higher  use  than 
to  be  shot  at  and  murdered,  for  the  glory  of  a 
chief,  for  the  sealing  of  this  or  that  family  on  a 
throne,  for  the  petty  interests  or  selfish  rivalries 
which  have  inflamed  states  to  conflict.  Let  the 
worth  of  a  human  being  be  felt ;  let  the  mass  of  a 
people  be  elevated  ;  let  it  be  understood  that  a  man 
was  made  to  enjoy  unalienable  right,  to  improve 
lofty  powers,  to  secure  a  vast  happiness  ;  and  a 
main  pillar  of  war  will  fall.  And  is  it  not  plain  that 
these  views  are  taking  place  of  the  contempt  in 
which  man  has  so  long  been  held  ?  War  finds 
another  support  in  the  prejudices  and  partialities  of 
a  narrow  patriotism.  Let  the  great  Christian  prin- 
ciple of  human  brotherhood  be  comprehended,  let 
the  Christian  spirit  of  universal  love  gain  ground, 
and  just  so  fast  the  custom  of  war,  so  long  the 
pride  of  men,  will  become  their  abhorrence  and 
execration.  It  is  encouraging  to  see  how  outward 
events  are  concurring  with  the  influences  of  Christ- 
ianity in  promoting  peace,  how  an  exclusive  nation- 
ality is  yielding  to  growing  intercourse,  how  different 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  141 

nations  by  mutual  visits,  by  the  interchange  of 
thoughts  and  products,  by  studying  one  another's 
language  and  literature,  by  union  of  efforts  in  the 
cause  of  religion  and  humanity,  are  growing  up  to 
the  consciousness  of  belonging  to  one  great  family. 
Every  rail  road  connecting  distant  regions,  may  be 
regarded  as  accomplishing  a  ministry  of  peace. 
Every  year  which  passes  without  war,  by  interweav- 
ing more  various  ties  of  interest  and  friendship,  is  a 
pledge  of  corning  years  of  peace.  The  prophetic 
faith,  with  which  Dr.  AYorcester,  in  the  midst  of 
universal  w^ar,  looked  forward  to  a  happier  era, 
and  which  was  smiled  at  as  enthusiasm  or  credul- 
ity, has  already  received  a  sanction  beyond  his 
fondest  hopes  by  the  wonderful  progress  of  human 
afiairs. 

On  the  subject  of  War,  Dr.  Worcester  adopted 
opinions  w-hich  are  thought  by  some  to  be  extreme. 
He  interpreted  literally  the  precept.  Resist  not  evil; 
and  he  believed  that  nations  as  well  as  individuals 
would  find  safety  as  well  as  '  fulfil  righteousness '  in 
yielding  it  literal  obedience.  One  of  the  most 
striking  traits  of  his  character,  was  his  confidence 
in  the  power  of  love,  I  might  say  in  its  omnipo- 
tence.    He  beheved,   the   surest  way  to  subdue  a 


142  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

foe,  was  to  become  his  friend ;  that  a  true  benev- 
olence was  a  surer  defence  than  swords,  or  artillery, 
or  walls  of  adamant.  He  believed,  that  no  mightier 
man  ever  trod  the  soil  of  America  than  William 
Penn,  when  entering  the  wilderness  unarmed,  and 
stretching  out  to  the  savage  a  hand  which  refused 
all  earthly  weapons,  in  token  of  brotherhood  and 
peace.  There  was  something  grand  in  the  calm 
confidence,  with  which  he  expressed  his  conviction 
of  the  superiority  of  moral  to  physical  force.  Ar- 
mies, fiery  passions,  quick  resentments,  and  the 
spirit  of  vengeance  miscalled  honor,  seemed  to  him 
weak,  low  instruments,  inviting,  and  often  hastening 
the  ruin  which  they  are  used  to  avert.  Many  will 
think  him  in  error  ;  but  if  so,  it  was  a  grand  thought 
which  led  him  astray. 

At  the  age  of  seventy,  he  felt  as  if  he  had 
discharged  his  mission  as  a  preacher  of  peace,  and 
resigned  his  oflice  as  Secretary  to  the  Society, 
to  which  he  had  given  the  strength  of  many  years. 
He  did  not,  however,  retire  to  unfruitful  repose. 
Bodily  infirmity  had  increased,  so  that  he  was  very 
much  confined  to  his  house  ;  but  he  returned  with 
zeal  to  the  studies  of  his  early  life,  and  produced 
two  theological  works,   one  on  the  atonement,  the 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  143 

Other  on  human  depravity  or  the  moral  state  of  man 
by  nature,  which  I  regard  as  among  the  most  useful 
books  on  these  long  agitated  subjects.     These  wri- 
tings, particularly  the  last,   have  failed  of  the  popu- 
larity which  they  merit,  In  consequence  of  a  defect 
of  style,    which   may   be   traced    to    his    defective 
education,  and  which  naturally  increased  with  years. 
1   refer  to  his    dIfFuseness,   to  his  inability  to  con- 
dense  his  thoughts.     His    writings,    however,    are 
not  wanting  in  merits  of  style.     They   are   simple 
and   clear.     They  abound   to  a  remarkable  degree 
in  ingenious   illustration,   and  they  have   often   the 
charm  which  original   thinking  always  gives  to  com- 
position.    He  was   truly  an  original  writer,  not  In 
the  sense   of  making  great  discoveries,  but  in  the 
sense  of  writing  from   his  own  mind,   and  not  from 
books,  or  tradition.     What  he  wrote,  had  perhaps 
been   written  before  ;    but  In    consequence    of  his 
limited  reading.   It  was  new  to  himself,  and  came 
to  him  with  the  freshness    of  discovery.      Some- 
times great  thoughts  flashed  on  his  mind,  as  if  they 
had  been  inspirations  ;  and  in  writing  his  last  book, 
he   seems   to    have   felt  as    if  some   extraordinary 
light  had  been    imparted   from    above.     After  his 
seventy-fifth  year  he    ceased   to  write  books,   but 


144  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER, 

his  mind  lost  nothing  of  its  activity.  He  was  so 
enfeehled  by  a  distressing  disease,  that  he  could 
converse  but  a  ^ew  moments  at  a  time  ;  yet  he 
entered  into  all  the  great  movements  of  the  age, 
with  an  interest  distinguished  from  the  fervor  of 
youth,  only  by  its  mildness  and  its  serene  trust. 
The  attempts  made,  in  some  of  our  cities,  to  propa- 
gate atheistical  principles,  gave  him  much  concern, 
and  he  applied  himself  to  fresh  inquiries  into  the 
proofs  of  the  existence  and  perfections  of  God, 
hoping  to  turn  his  labors  to  the  account  of  his 
erring  fellow-creatures.  With  this  view,  he  entered 
on  the  study  of  nature  as  a  glorious  testimony  to 
its  almighty  author.  I  shall  never  forget  the  delight 
which  illumined  his  countenance  a  short  time  ago, 
as  he  told  me,  that  he  had  just  been  reading  the 
history  of  the  coral,  the  insect  which  raises  islands 
in  the  sea.  '  How  wonderfully,'  he  exclaimed,  '  is 
God's  providence  revealed  in  these  little  creatures.' 
The  last  subject  to  which  he  devoted  his  thoughts, 
was  slavery.  His  mild  spirit  could  never  reconcile 
itself  to  the  methods  in  which  this  evil  is  often 
assailed  ;  but  the  greatness  of  the  evil  he  deeply 
felt,  and  he  left  several  essays  on  this  as  on  the 
preceding  subject,  which,  if  they  shall  be  found  unfit 


MEMOIRS  OF  NOAH  WORCESTER.        145 

for  publication,  will  still  bear  witness  to  the  intense, 
unfaltering  interest  with  which  he  bound  himself  to 
the  cause  of  mankind. 

I  have   thus  given  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  a 
good  man  who  lived  and  died  the  lover  of  his  kind 
and    the   admiration   of  his    friends.       Two    views 
of  him   particularly   impressed  me.     The  first  was 
the  unity,  the   harmony  of  his  character.     He  had 
no  jarring   elements.     His  whole   nature  had  been 
blended  and  melted   into  one  strong,    serene  love. 
His  mission  was  to  preach  peace,  and  he  preached 
it  not  on  set  occasions,   or  by  separate   efforts,  but 
in  his   whole  life.      It  breathed   in  his  tones.     It 
beamed  from  his  venerable  countenance.     He  car- 
ried it,  where  it  is  least   apt  to  be  found,  into  the 
religious    controversies,    which    raged    around    him 
with  great   vehemence,  but   which   never   excited 
him  to   a   word  of  anger   or  intolerance.     All  my 
impressions  of  him  are  harmonious.     I  recollect  no 
discord  in  his   beautiful  life  ;  and  this  serenity  was 
not  the  result  of  torpidness  or  tameness  ;  for  his 
whole  life   was    a    conflict   with    what   he    thought 
error.     He   made  no  compromise  with  the   world, 
and  yet  he   loved   it  as   deeply  and  constantly  as  if 
13 


14G  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

it  had   responded  in  shouts  to    all  his  views   and 
feelings. 

The  next  great  impression  which  I  received  from 
him  was  that  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  mind  to  its 
own  happiness,  or  of  its  independence  on  outward 
things.  He  was  for  years  debilitated  and  often  a 
great  sufierer  ;  and  his  circumstances  were  very 
narrow,  compelling  him  to  so  strict  an  economy, 
that  was  sometimes  represented,  though  falsely,  as 
wanting  the  common  comforts  of  life.  In  this 
tried  and  narrow  condition,  he  was  among  the  most 
contented  of  men.  He  spoke  of  his  old  age  as 
among  the  happiest  portions  if  not  the  very  hap- 
piest in  his  life.  In  conv^ersation  his  religion  man- 
ifested itself  in  gratitude  more  frequently  than  in 
any  other  form.  When  I  have  visited  him  in  his 
last  years,  and  looked  on  his  serene  countenance, 
and  heard  his  cheerful  voice,  and  seen  the  youthful 
earnestness  with  which  he  was  reading  a  variety  of 
books,  and  studying  the  great  interests  of  humanity, 
I  have  felt  how  little  of  this  outward  world  is 
needed  to  our  happiness.  I  have  felt  the  greatness 
of  the  human  spirit,  which  could  create  to  itself 
such  joy  from  its  own  resources.  I  have  felt  the 
folly,    the    insanity   of  that  prevailing  worldhness. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  147 

which  in  accumulating  outward  good,  neglects  the 
imperishable  soul.  On  leaving  his  house  and  turn- 
ing my  face  toward  the  city,  I  have  said  to  myself, 
how  much  richer  is  this  poor  man  than  the  richest 
who  dwell  yonder.  I  have  been  ashamed  of  my 
own  dependence  on  outward  good.  I  am  always 
happy  to  express  my  obligations  to  the  benefactors 
of  my  mind  ;  and  I  owe  it  to  Dr.  Worcester  to 
say,  that  my  acquaintance  with  him  gave  me  clearer 
comprehension  of  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  of  the 
dignity  of  a  man. 

And  he  has  gone  to  his  reward.  He  has  gone 
to  that  world  of  which  he  carried  in  his  own  breast 
so  rich  an  earnest  and  pledge,  to  a  world  of  Peace. 
He  has  gone  to  Jesus  Christ,  whose  spirit  he  so 
deeply  comprehended  and  so  freely  imbibed,  and 
to  God  whose  universal,  all-suftering,  all-embracing 
love  he  adored,  and  in  a  humble  measure  made 
manifest  in  his  own  life.  But  he  is  not  wholly 
gone  ;  not  gone  in  heart,  for  I  am  sure  that  a  bet- 
ter world  has  heightened,  not  extinguished,  his 
affection  for  his  race  ;  and  not  gone  in  influence, 
for  his  thoughts  remain  in  his  works,  and  his  memory 
is  laid  up  as  a  sacred  treasure  in  many  minds. 
A  spirit  so  beautiful  ought  to  multiply  itself  in  those 


148  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

to  whom  it  is  made  known.  May  we  all  be  incited 
by  it  lo  a  more  grateful,  cheerful  love  to  God, 
and  serener,  gentler,  nobler  love  of  our  fellow- 
creatures. 


The  fidelity  of  Dr.  Ware  has  left  but  a  few 
things  to  be  added  by  the  Editor. 

Soon  after  my  father  commenced  preaching,  he 
became  extensively  known.  He  was  honored  with 
the  degrees  of  A.  B.  and  A.  M.  by  Dartmouth 
College,  and  with  that  of  D.  D.  by  Harvard  Uni- 
versity in  1818. 

He  wrote  with  uncommon  rapidity  and  accuracy, 
but  did  not  read  so  fast  as  many  others.  After  his 
limbs  became  feeble  in  1806,  his  habits  were  se- 
dentary ;  and  very  few  men  are  able  to  study  so 
much  as  he  did.  I  think  that  twenty  years  of  his 
life  may  be  selected,  during  which  his  average 
daily  time  of  study  was  not  less  than  fourteen 
hours.  But  he  was  very  regular  in  taking  exercise, 
as  much  as  he  felt  able  to  bear,  and  of  such  kinds 
as  best  suited  the  state  of  his  health. 

All  his  habits  were  marked  by  promptness,  en- 
ergy, and  punctuality.     He  rose  very  early  during 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  149 

his  whole  life,  and  wanted  his  simple  breakfast  as 
soon  as  it  could  be  prepared.  He  was  then  ready 
for  the  labors  of  the  day ;  worked  with  all  his 
might  at  whatever  seemed  his  duty  ;  desired  and 
endeavored  to  have  all  labors  go  on  very  quietly, 
but  with  energy  ;  and,  at  an  early  hour  in  the 
evening,  he  was  thankful  that  the  time  of  rest  had 
arrived. 

After  he  came  to  Brighton  he  preached  many 
times  in  Boston  and  the  neighboring  towns  ;  but, 
for  about  twenty  years  before  his  death,  his  liability 
to  spasmodic  affections  rendered  it  unsafe  for  him 
to  attempt  to  preach. 

My  father  had  four  sons  and  six  daughters  by  his 
first  wife,  but  none  by  the  second  wife.  The  first 
daughter  died  in  infancy,  and  the  last  was  still- 
born, after  the  fall  which  was  the  cause  of  my 
mother's  death.  Four  sons  and  four  daughters 
lived  to  adult  age.  The  youngest  of  these  daugh- 
ters lived  with  him  till  his  death,  and  had  the  prin- 
cipal care  of  him  during  the  last  seven  or  eight 
years  of  his  life. 

After  the  year  1817,  my  step-mother  had  very 
little  to  do  with  the  domestic  concerns.  She  was 
almost  wholly  devoted  to  my  father.  She  read  a 
13* 


150  MEMOIRS    OP    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

great  deal  to  him,  took  care  of  bis  papers,  folded 
and  stitched  his  pamphlets,  and  rendered  him  every 
service  that  she  could.  The  affairs  of  the  house 
belonged  to  my  sister.  She  was  assisted  for  some 
years  by  a  faithful  niece,  whose  memory  is  very 
dear  to  all  who  knew  her.  But  for  the  very  com- 
fortable home  which  my  father  enjoyed  during  his 
last  years,  he  was  almost  wholly  indebted  to  my 
sister.  She  merited  and  received  his  full  confi- 
dence. She  watched  over  him  and  served  him 
day  and  night  ;  and  when  she  might  sleep,  she 
placed  herself  so  near  him,  as  to  be  aroused  by  the 
gentlest  call.  If  he  was  enabled  to  be  in  any 
degree  useful  during  this  period  of  his  life,  the 
blessings  of  a  peaceful  home  gave  him  this  ability  ; 
and  my  sister  was  the  principal  and  often  the  sole 
medium,  through  whom  the  Lord  bestowed  these 
blessings. 

For  many  years  my  father  W'as  Postmaster  at 
Brighton  ;  and  in  several  cases  when  nearly  all 
others  were  removed,  he  was  not  molested.  The 
duties  of  the  office  devolved  on  my  sister  ;  and 
when  the  business  of  the  town  had  greatly  increased, 
and  large  sums  of  money  must  lie  in  the  office  over 
night,   my  sister  was   fearful  for  its  safety,  and  de- 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  151 

sired  my  father  to  resign.  The  increase  of  the 
village  had  also  rendered  the  distance  of  the  Post 
Office  inconvenient  to  the  people  ;  but  their  kind- 
ness to  my  father  and  sister  prevented  their 
complaining.  And  it  is  but  an  act  of  justice  to 
the  people  of  Brighton  to  say,  that  they  treated 
my  father  with  very  great  kindness  and  respect, 
and  were  always  ready  to  bestow  on  him  any  favors 
which  he  desired.  He  was  very  sensible  of  their 
kindness,  and  I  take  great  pleasure  in  recording  it, 
and  thanking  them  for  it. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  my  father  was  subject 
to  paralytic  affections,  and  also  to  turns  of  entire 
prostration  of  strength,  arising  probably  from  some 
degree  of  ossification  of  the  heart  or  arteries.  The 
first  case  of  paralysis,  and  one  of  the  severest 
which  he  ever  suffered  was,  I  think,  in  the  summer 
of  1815.  INIy  younger  brother  and  myself  were 
sitting  in  the  chamber,  and  heard  our  step-mother 
call  us  in  a  troubled  tone  of  voice.  On  entering 
the  sitting  room  we  saw  father  on  the  floor,  quiv- 
ering and  speechless,  and  mother  was  trying  to 
raise  him.  We  set  him  in  a  chair,  and  soon  saw 
that  one  side  of  him  was  paralyzed.  We  began 
to  rub  him,  but  were   conscious  that  we  knew  not 


152 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 


what  ought  to  be  done.  It  so  was,  that  I  had  a 
phial  of  aqua  ammoniae  in  my  pocket ;  and  a  thought 
that  I  ought  to  apply  it  came  with  much  distinct- 
ness. We  removed  his  coat,  applied  the  wash  to 
his  hand,  arm,  shoulder,  breast,  and  one  side  of 
his  face,  and  also  to  his  nose.  He  was  instantly 
so  sensible  of  relief,  that  he  extended  his  tongue  to 
have  that  also  washed  with  the  ammoniae.  He  be- 
came able  to  speak  within  a  f^ew  minutes,  and  also 
rose  and  walked  to  his  room  ;  but  his  tongue  and 
lips  felt  the  effects  of  my  harsh  medicine  for  many 
days.  He  had  less  of  these  paralytic  affections, 
and  more  of  the  other  kind,  in  his  later  years.  We 
doubted  not  that  he  would  die  in  one  of  these 
spasms  from  disease  of  the  heart ;  but  the  violence 
of  these  spasms  rather  diminished  after  he  was 
seventy  years  of  age  ;  and,  at  last,  his  lungs  which 
had  seemed  to  be  very  good,  became  much  dis- 
eased ;  and  he  died  of  pulmonary  consumption, 
Oct.  31,  1837. 

The  ill  turns  which  depended  on  a  disease  of  the 
heart,  rendered  it  necessary  that  he  should  avoid 
all  occasions  of  excitement,  and  hence  that  he 
should  keep  at  home. 

He  was  well  aware  that  his  body  could  not  bear 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  153 

much  excitement  of  the  mind  ;  and  he  therefore 
generally  avoided  discussions  with  those  who  dif- 
fered from  him.  This  gave  to  the  last  years  of  his 
hfe  a  more  placid  character,  than  properly  belonged 
to  him.  He  was  constitutionally  exchable  ;  and 
when  his  health  was  feeble,  it  took  but  little  to  dis- 
compose him.  Those  who  visited  him  at  Brighton 
w^ere  generally  his  warm  friends,  who  came  to  ap- 
prove and  encourage  his  works.  In  their  presence 
he  could  be  calm  and  happy  ;  and  those  who  had 
known  him  more,  and  had  constant  intercourse 
with  him,  knew  how  to  avoid  what  would  trouble 
him. 

There  was  nothing  harsh  and  vindictive  in  his 
character.  When  irritated  he  was  severe  ;  but 
his  deep  and  ever-active  sense  of  justice  and  mercy, 
and  his  abhorrence  of  strife,  always  overcame  his 
excitement  so  soon,  that  none  were  willing  to 
remember  it. 

For  about  five  weeks  before  his  death  his  health 
rapidly  declined.  He  was  quite  conscious  that  he 
was  failing,  and  said,  —  ''I  think  I  may  not  be 
here  long,  and  I  know  not  why  I  should  desire  to 
be."  He  took  his  last  meal  with  the  fiimily  one 
month  before   his  death,   but  continued  able  to  sit 


154  MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER. 

up  a  part  of  each  day  till  the  last  five  days.  He 
suffered  much  from  indigestion,  and  his  lungs  were 
evidently  diseased.  He  bore  his  severe  pains  with 
admirable  fortitude.  Near  the  last  hour  he  was  in 
much  distress  from  pain  in  the  left  side.  A  part  of 
the  last  day  he  seemed  bewildered,  but  most  of  the 
time  he  was  conscious  of  his  condition,  and  was 
willing  to  die. 

His  funeral  took  place  at  the  meeting  house  in 
which  he  had  worshipped  during  his  residence  at 
Brighton  ;  and  the  services  were  performed  by  the 
Rev.  Daniel  Austin.  His  body  was  placed  in 
a  tomb  at  Brighton,  but  was  afterward  removed  to 
Mount  Auburn,  where  a  Monument  with  the  fol- 
lowing inscription  was  erected  to  his  memory. 


MEMOIRS    OF    NOAH    WORCESTER.  155 

(On  one  side.) 

To 
NOAH  WORCESTER,  D.  D. 

Erected  by  his  Friends, 

In  commemoration  of  zealous  Labors 

In  the  Cause  of  Peace: 

And  of  the 

Meekness,  Benignity,  and  Consistency 

Of  his  Character, 

As  a 

Christian  Philanthropist  and  Divine: 

"  Speaking  the  Truth  in  Love." 


(On  the  other  side.) 

NOAH  WORCESTER, 

Born  at  HoUis,  N,  H.,  Nov.  25,  1758: 

Died  at  Brighton,  Mass.,  Oct.  31,  1837: 

Aged  79  years. 

"  Blessed  are  the  Peacemakers, 
For  they  shall  be  called 
The  Children  of  God." 


DATE  DUE 

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GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  U..S.A. 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  01046  0030 


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